


Si Vis Pacem

by JenLaFayette



Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Caesars Legion, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-14 16:33:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 38,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7180427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenLaFayette/pseuds/JenLaFayette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a cold desert night, a young girl learns what bad luck really means.<br/>Waking up to nothing but a name and a destination, what do the fates have in store for our youn Courier?</p>
<p>Will she take the chance at a new life? Or will she do everything to find the person she used to be? <br/>When her old life and her new life collide, will she choose? <br/>Or will she watch everything around her crash and burn?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue -  Prelude into Darkness

The first thing she noticed was a sharp pain in the back of her skull. She tried to reach for it but her hands wouldn't move. The pain was blurring her vision and her thoughts were sluggish.

It's cold. Where the fuck am I anyway? What the hell happened?

Voices drifted over the young girl but she couldn't make out any distinct words, only fragments. She started to panic when she opened her eyes and saw the inside of a burlap sack.

Okay... Okay, calm down. It's cold, so I'm outside. I feel... sand, and rocks. Men are talking. Two? No, three. Where am I? They don't seem to have noticed that I'm awake yet. I was... On my way to Vegas? Right... The Quarry was full of Deathclaws and I wanted to head northwest to avoid it. And then I got jumped. Feels like I got run over by a freaking Brahmin.  
The pain spiked up into the back of her head again and she couldn't quite suppress a groan.

“Guess who's waking up over here.” Well fuck.

Footsteps were coming closer and the girl was hauled to her knees. The sack vanished from her head. Her vision was blurry so she focused on the little glowing red spot in front of her.

“Time to cash out.”

The man's features grew sharper. He looked familiar but she couldn't put a name to the face. He was wearing a horribly chequered suit that didn't appear to belong into the wasteland that surrounded them. The third man came closer and looked at her indifferently.

“Would you get it over with?” The man in the fine suit held up his hand to silence his companion.

“Maybe Khans kill people without looking them in the face, but I ain't a fink, ya dig?” He flicked his cigarette to the ground in front of the other man's feet.  
He turned back to the girl kneeling before him and pulled a large shiny disk from his coat.

“You've made your last delivery kid.” He examined the chip before putting it back into his pocket and pulled out a gun that shone in the moonlight.  
“Sorry you got twisted up in this scene.” He pointed the intricately designed weapon at her head.

Your buddy was right, get it over with. Pointing your gun at my face won't scare me, this is what I was taught to do. Show no fear in the face of death. For some reason she couldn't find her voice to tell him so, but her face was set in a stony expression. The man looked down at her with a smirk on his face that showed her that he admired her courage.

“From where you're kneeling it must seem like an 18-carat run of bad luck.”

For a fleeting moment she was afraid that her facade would crumble, but it passed and her resolve was as strong as ever. She and the man locked eyes. Time seemed to stand still.

“Truth is... The game was rigged from the start.”


	2. Chapter 1 - Welcome back

_Oooowww...my head hurts._  
  
The young woman groaned. Her skull felt like it was shattered but she pushed past the pain and managed to sit up. Her head was spinning with the effort. She winced at the bright light when she forced her eyelids open.  
  
 _Okay, take a deep breath. You'll be fine. Just find out where you are and what the hell happened._  
  
The pain was slowly receding. Her head jerked up when she heard footsteps approaching. That was a bad idea though and she hissed as the pain flamed up again.   
  
“Well, hello. You're awake, how bout that.” A bald man with a white moustache and scruffy clothes stood in front of the bed. Her first reaction was to jump up and pin the old timer to the wall.   
_Whoa, where the fuck did that come from?_  
Since jumping out of the bed was not an option in her current state, she swung her feet off the cover and prepared to stand up.   
  
“Whoa, easy there. Easy. You been out cold a couple of days now. Why don't you just relax a second? Get your bearings.”   
  
“Where am I?” Her eyes were still a bit unfocused so she opted for looking at the floorboards.   
“Who are you?”   
  
“The name's Doc Mitchell and you're in my house in Goodsprings.” He sat down in a chair in front of the bed.   
“You were brought to my place more dead than alive. I did what I could but I had to go rooting around there in your noggin to pull all the bits of lead out. Now, I take pride in my needlework, but that bullet will leave you marked. Not the first mark on you from what I've seen.”   
  
“You like eyeballing your patients, Doc?” The cheeky grin told Doc Mitchell his patient was already feeling a lot better than she should have been.   
  
_Huh, this girlie must have had some heck of a training to just brush off being shot in the head._  
  
“So, how about you tell me your name?”   
  
“My name is...” _Wait, what's my name? Why don't I know my name? Who am I?_   
“I don't know my name. I.. How can I know that I don't know? Doc, what's going on in my head?”   
  
“Okay, calm down girlie. You took quite a blow to the head, retrograde amnesia is normal. You might wake up tomorrow and remember everything, it might take months. Now in the mean time, we might look through your bag. Maybe we'll find something.” The old man grabbed a messenger bag from under the bed and pulled it onto his lap.   
It was worn and dirty, with many strange patches sewn onto it. The one that caught her eye was a stitching of wheat on the lower left corner of the flap. She didn't know why, but she was drawn to this particular patch.  
Doc Mitchell opened the bag and started rummaging inside, extracting two pieces of paper.   
  
“Well, this one here is a Delivery note for the Mojave Express. Looks like you're a courier, Missy.”   
  
“Really? What does it say?” Her vision was getting clearer and while these tidbits about who she was were interesting, she did not feel that Doc was talking about her, rather telling her about a stranger.   
  
“Hmm, a lot of business gibberish. You'll have to check with the office that wrote this. Then there's something about a platinum chip. You were supposed to deliver it to New Vegas it seems.”   
  
_Right, that weird guy in the checkered suit pulled out a platinum chip.  
_  
“So that little disk is the reason I got jumped? What the hell was I carrying?”   
  
“It doesn't really say anything more. This other piece of paper is strange though. Take a look. Maybe it'll make sense to you.” The girl reached for the folded piece of paper and began to examine it.   
On the outside stood four strange symbols. After a minute she realized they were letters and that, apparently, she could read them.   
  
_Sian.. Sian. It sounds... I know this word. What does it mean?_   
  
Doc Mitchell was watching her. Her face betrayed nothing, but her eyes clearly showed how upset she was. In one fluid movement her head snapped up and every muscle in her body tensed. She sat like this for about a minute until her head slowly turned toward him. Her eyes were wide, her face as pale as a sheet.   
  
_’Sian, my fire burns inside of you! This flame will always illuminate your path!’_   
  
“My name is Sian.”   
  
“Now where did that come from all of a sudden?” Sian shook her head in wonder.   
  
“I don't really know. It.. The name sounded familiar and then I had a... It just felt right.” _I think I've heard this before.It sounds like the echo of a dream._   
  
She rubbed her face with her hands and groaned out of pure frustration.   
  
“Urgh, this is so confusing and it makes my head hurt.” Doc got up and smiled at the young woman on the bed.   
  
“Well, Sian, seeing as figuring out your name was more than we could hope for, I'd say you lie back down. Sleep a few hours and I'll wake you for dinner. You can stay here as long as you need to, so don't push yourself too hard. We'll take it a day at a time.” Sian smiled up at this scruffy old man who had opened his home to her so graciously.   
  
“Thanks, Doc. Sleep and food sound like a plan to me.”


	3. Chapter 2-Siannie get your gun (back)

Sian spent a little over two weeks in Doc Mitchell's house. She didn't remember much more than her name, but they found another scrap of paper in her bag that indicated that she was about 18 years of age.

The first few days consisted mainly of eating and sleeping, but the young girl felt stronger everyday. Soon she was roaming about the house, reading Doc's pre-war books, doing exercises and having long talks with Doc Mitchell about the situation in the Mojave.

He told her about his experiences travelling the wasteland, hoping something would trigger a memory. Occasionally the name of a city would catch Sian's attention for a split second, but any feeling of recognition would pass quickly.  
This infuriated her for the first few days, even to the point of covert tears, but with Doc Mitchell's help, she learned to accept her new situation.  
After almost two weeks, Doc came into her room one morning finding, not her, but a bunch of chemicals on the bed. Sian walked into the room pulling a towel off her head.

"Well, good morning, missy. That shade of blue's looking mighty fine. Not my first choice but if you like it."  
The young girl stood by the open window and started to comb her hair. The dark blue shade she'd concocted completely changed her face, making the features sharper and her face appear older.  
"Thanks. I needed a change. It's like you said, I'm not who I used to be anymore, and I needed something to help me make that cut between the stranger I was and the person I am now."

She started to gather up the chemicals and returned them to their places on the desk.  
"I poked around a bit and, well, I realized that the smell and colours of most of the substances seemed familiar. I knew I'd created the right thing - don't know why or how I knew, but it worked."  
They ambled into the kitchen together and Sian started making breakfast, something she had picked up quickly because Doc Mitchell simply could not cook. How that man managed to feed himself was a mystery to her. Also, she found cooking enjoyable.  
She brought two helpings of fried yucca banana with cactus fruit, while Doc got himself a coffee and a Sarsaparilla for her.  
In her time at his house, they had gotten into the habit of discussing things she read in his books at mealtimes.

Today they got hung up on the differentiation between good and evil.  
"But Doc, come on... Who decides what is good and what is evil? You? Me? Some obscure pre-war deity? I say something is good and you say the same thing is evil? Who's right, then?"  
Doc Mitchell inhaled his coffee and got another. He would never understand how she could entertain such complex thoughts this early in the morning.  
"Anyone ever tell you, that you ask difficult questions?"  
The old man sighed and sat back down rubbing his eyes.  
"I s'pose you're right, though. I was taught by my parents. That's how it usually goes; you learn from the people who raise you."  
Sian pushed her yucca banana around on her plate.  
"I don't know if I was taught anything. And if I was, I don't know what I classified as good or evil. So what do I do, Doc? How do I know what the difference is?"  
"I'm guessing, you have to rely on your instincts. You know, intuition? I've been living with you for two weeks and I'd say you have a pretty good understanding of wrong and right. And if you ever don't know, I'd say just follow your gut. You're a sweet girl; you've been helpful and kind all the time and I've never felt uncomfortable once. Don't worry about this so much; every decision you make, I'd back you up."  
Sian wasn't sure what to make of that. She was glad that Doc Mitchell was so supportive, but she wasn't entirely sure that this was how the world worked.

This was the day Sian ventured outside.  
Doc Mitchell sent her to a woman named Sunny Smiles who was likely to help her figure out how to survive in the wasteland. Sian was pretty sure she didn't need that, but she decided to go simply to appease the man who took care of her.  
Over the two weeks, her few belongings had spread over the house and she was hunting them down. The few extra shirts and the second pair of pants were the easiest to pack, simply rolled up as tight as possible and stuffed into her messenger bag. Next came a few boxes of ammunition, which was strange as she didn't have a gun. She didn't linger on that too much though. She retrieved two thin, worn books from the living room. She had been surprised to find these within her bag, not really knowing why. They felt familiar though.  
But she decided that these books were to be concealed, as Doc Mitchell had given her quite a few strange looks for reading them. They were written in two different languages, so maybe it simply wasn't common for wastelander's to have this level of education.  
Next in came a few bottles of purified water and some medical supplies she'd been given.  
The bag wasn't full yet -apparently she was packing very efficiently- but the only other things she had were a worn, but dangerously sharp combat knife and a black machete with a gracefully curved blade. It looked to be pretty new, but she couldn't be sure.  
Without really thinking about it, Sian shoved the knife down her boot and grabbed the sheath for her machete. It looked home-made, fashioned out of sturdy leather lined with fur.  
It went on her back, and in one precise movement, the machete rested inside. She was geared up and ready to leave when the older man approached her.

"Sian, I know now, that this wouldn't have been necessary, but when you were brought here... -I decided to rather be safe than sorry.- I hope you understand..."

He held out a gun to her. A shiny, perfectly maintained Auto .45. The grip panel was fashioned out of what looked to be carved ivory, contrasting beautifully with the black weapon. She reached for it. -The grip felt so familiar, it felt like power... -and like home...  
Sian was having a hard time controlling her emotions. She didn't know why this moment was so upsetting, but she knew right away that this had been important to the girl she once was.  
She was at a loss for words and simply looked at the doc with her big blue eyes.

"You... You didn't.. take my blades.." she managed to choke out.

Doc Mitchell sighed. He motioned for the girl to sit on the bed behind her while he claimed the chair.  
"I took the gun from you, -not because I was afraid you'd shoot me, but because I didn't know what to make of it. Same with that damn book of yours."  
The blue haired girl looked at him, her eyes wide and confused.  
He sighed again.  
"Do me a favour, will ya? Read the words etched into the barrel."

Sian only just noticed the writing, and turning it from one side to another, she read.  
"Si vis pacem... Para bellum." She looked at him with a raised brow.

"Tell me what that means, girlie. I don't speak Latin."

That word -'Latin'- let loose something akin to a storm flood in her brain. No real memories surfaced, only fragments and feelings of love and security, hate and fear. It took her a few minutes to focus back on the task at hand.  
Now that she knew, that this was a different language, translating it was easy.  
Keeping her eyes on the fine weapon, she said: "If you want peace.. Prepare for war."


	4. Chapter 3 - The Beauty is a Beast

Doc Mitchell had told her not to talk about the fact she understood Latin.  
"But why?", she had asked, "Is it really that bad that I'm apparently smart enough to know two languages?"

He had told her that, no, it would be great - if it was any other language, and explained that while the Followers of the Apocalypse, a Californian group, also had members who spoke Latin, most people associated that language with Caesar's Legion.  
He then explained to her what exactly the Legion was. They had never lingered on the topic too long before, and now she understood why.  
Sian didn't feel as revolted as she should have by what she heard. When she noticed Doc Mitchell giving her a questioning glance, she faked repulsed exclamations.  
This seemed to appease him.

Her thoughts swirled around the Legion all day. Even while she was helping Sunny clear out the springs, or overhearing the encounter Trudy the Saloon owner had with a Powder.. Dude? She couldn't remember. Trudy'd said they wanted them to hand over a guy they'd been pursuing. Of course, a nice little town like Goodsprings would never do that.

Even when she was forced to think about other things, her mind always drifted back to the horrors she'd been told about the group from Arizona.

The Legion crucified and raped, tortured and razed entire settlements to the ground.  
Doc Mitchell had said they simply wanted to expand - and that they killed or enslaved everyone in their path, but he didn't explain why.  
She had asked Sunny and Trudy, and they had told her essentially the same things.  
Nobody seemed to know anything other than them being slavers with an addiction to messy kills.  
She didn't voice her own thoughts on the matter.

_Somehow I don't think people would take to kindly to the fact that I partially agree. The things I heard on the radio, those Doc told me about. And these Powder freaks?_  
Fire has to be fought with fire. Force with even more force...   
__I'll need to find someone who can tell me the other side of this story. But, just in case, I should probably try to stay away from them. Slaving rapists don't sound like fun company to me..._ _

Sian almost walked straight into the door of the gas station she was headed for. Sunny had sent her to talk to this Ringo fellow, the one whose fault it was that this town was even in danger. She thought they should just kill him and get it over with, but Sunny had been adamant about helping him and Sian guessed it couldn't hurt to have some people like her.

She almost changed her mind when she stared down the barrel of a gun, right when she stepped through the door.  
Sian narrowed her eyes at the man.

"You'd better make that first shot count. You won't get a second," she said with a voice as cold and clear as ice. Her hands hadn't even moved toward her pistol, but apparently the man opposite her did not feel like pushing his luck.

_Too bad... Would have been fun.._

She listened to this Ringo character rehash the story of how his caravan had been attacked and he'd been followed here.

The young girl before him vocally agreed with him, that, yes, trade caravans should be better protected, but she actually thought it would be more efficient to rather just eliminate the threat altogether. Again, this was a thought she knew wouldn't sit well with these do-gooders.  
Irrational anger started to rise, but Sian quelled it just in time to her him say that they could fight off these thugs - if they had help.  
So, sighing, the girl made her way back to town. Now she was doing footwork again. She talked to Trudy, convincing her how much fun it would be to just fuck these Powder Dudes up. It took surprisingly little convincing. __HA! I like her! Trudy's got a wild side.__

Next up was Easy Pete. He rambled on about how great being a Prospector was - when even Sian knew they were glorified dirt diggers. It was really hard to keep a pleasant smile on her face, especially when he told her he would not hand over his precious explosives to someone so inexperienced.  
 _ _Fucking waste of time THAT was. Bet he'll not even show tonight.__

Chet was a fucking coward, Sian noted. He would be of no help at all, but she convinced him to loan them some leather armour.  
She simply wondered aloud, if it were really that good for business, if the Powder Fucks took over.  
 _ _Disgusting man. Only cares about his freaking profit.. No cares about lives at stake.__

The last person she needed to talk to was Doc Mitchell. She was frustrated - but at the same time secretly relieved that he couldn't fight. He gave her all the stimpacks he still had and told her not to get hurt.  
 _ _At least he's safely out of harm's way. We might need someone to patch us up.__

__And... And I'm glad he won't get hurt.._ _

Shaking these annoying -and frankly very confusing- thoughts out of her head, Sian made her way back to the gas station on the hill. Sunny called from behind her that she'd rounded up some more citizens.  
Time to go get Ringo and move in position.  
 _Show time!_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  
  


There was chaos all around her. Gunshots, people yelling, one of the Powders howling in pain as Sunny's dog Cheyenne was trying to rip his leg off.

She loved it! The sounds of battle rang familiar in her ears and her adrenaline was shooting through the roof. Her machete in her left hand, her gun in her right, she charged at the attackers.   
Whenever she cut someone down, the girl felt a sharp sting of pleasure run up and down her spine.  
Every bullet that hit its mark, gave her a feeling of power.  
She never even noticed a bullet grazing her face. Sian felt absolutely nothing other than glee, like someone had unleashed a beast in her and it was clawing itself to the surface.

When the last man fell, she stood, covered in the blood of her enemies, a wide grin on her face. Stopping herself from laughing, she turned towards the other townspeople.

"Loot them for supplies! We'll split evenly. Trudy? How about a party at the Saloon?"

  
  


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Goodsprings Saloon was full of celebration, everyone shouting out their victories to anyone who would listen. Their spoils of war were evenly distributed, Sian claiming only caps and some ammunition.

Currently she was sitting on a table, getting drinks left and right, while Doc Mitchell fussed over the wound on her cheek.

"Mitch, go away! Have some fun and chat up Trudy or something! The damn bullet only grazed me anyway!"

Sian laughed outright at his red-tinged face and waved him away. She was in such a good mood that she even laughed with Easy Pete and listened to the alleged heroics Chet was boasting about.

It had been worth it, all the fighting.. These people here were a community.  
Sure, everyone had their faults and weaknesses, but these people always had each other.  
Suddenly all the good feelings drained out of her. They had each other, but who did she have?  
With ease, she slipped out of the Saloon, gathered her bag at Mitch's House and turned south.  
She still felt unhappy and lonely; she felt like crying.  
Without looking back, she walked off into the night. The light sheen emitted by the screen of the Pipboy Doc Mitchell had given her, was the only light guiding her through the darkness.


	5. Chapter 4 - A new friend

Sian walked half the night before finding a sheltered ridge to rest. Building a fire, she decided this place was too much in the open to actually sleep, but she dozed off, still very much aware of her surroundings.

__**Sian was standing amidst the flames. Screams and sobs rang through the air and filled with her trepidation and excitement in equal parts. The smell of burning flesh was thick in the air...that familiar, sickening, musty sensation, filling her lungs with every inhale... breathing the flesh of the fallen...Sian's thoughts were racing a mile a minute when a deep, cold voice sliced through them. "Pile body upon body." The sound made the back of her neck prickle. Slowly, she turned. She KNEW this voice. A man stood before her but the girl couldn't make out any features. They were shifting into focus, and right when she was about to recognize him..** _ _

"Ha-?!"  
Sian jerked up, awoken by a high-pitched whine.  
 _Fuck! I must've fallen asleep. What the hell woke me?_

Again, a whine rang through the air. It sounded pained, making Sian jump to her feet. She grabbed her machete and followed the sounds to a grizzly sight.  
Three Geckos had surrounded a nighstalker denmother and her pups. The lizards quickly spotted her and decided she would make a better meal.  
Time seemed to slow as Sian shot the furthest one and it dropped at once. The other two were a bit more of a challenge, but her machete made short work of them, for Sian fought with anger.  
Approaching the denmother, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. It was lying on its side, in a pool of blood, her dead puppies strewn around her.  
Sian felt like unloading her clip into the damn geckos, but was stopped by a little high-pitched yip.

__What the hell? Where did that come from?_ _

She looked around, and the denmother let out a loud bark, making the yipping continue.  
Amongst the rocks Sian found a tiny nighstalker puppy. It was the only one that'd survived, but had a gash on his leg.

"Oh, you poor little thing. Come here, you.."

With a slender hand, she grabbed the pup and examined the cut. It didn't seem deep, nor particularly dangerous. She walked back to the mother and held out the puppy to her.  
She slipped her split tongue all over her baby, but soon succumbed to her injuries.

Sian watched her a moment longer, then turned abruptly, marching back to the fire with the little puppy securely in her arms.

She sat and placed the little canine in her lap. It curled up immediately, shivered a bit, but made no move to escape.  
The girl pulled her bag close and, with one hand, rummaged through it for healing powder and an extra shirt. The other hand was on the traumatized puppy in her lap.  
She tore some strips of cloth off the shirt and used the first one to wash the wound, and then apply the stinging powder to the hind limb. The pup flinched a bit, but still made no attempts to flee.

Sian didn't know why she cared so about this notoriously dangerous creature. It didn't seem to mind her though. Even the gravely wounded denmother had allowed her to approach. She decided not to over think this. She'd just take the puppy with her if it was still there in the morning. It was still too young to walk very far, but Sian had room in her bag.  
She wrapped the little creatures leg in a second strip of cloth. She was tired all of a sudden.

_Screw it, I'll just sleep some. We'll just see what happens.."_  
With that, the girl flopped onto her back, the puppy securely on her stomach.  
Sian placed one hand under her head and looked at the little mutant on her stomach.  
It yawned and snuggled itself into her shirt.  
Smiling, she place one hand softly on the puppy and drifted off to sleep.

Her last thought was that she was going to have to come up with a name...

XXXXXXXXXX

The sun rose crimson and gold over the Mojave, bathing everything in brilliant light. Sian paid no mind to the sea of colours around her, she wanted to sleep. Screw the sunrise! She was tired.  
She only opened her eyes when she felt a small, dry tongue on her face.  
Grinning, she gently pushed the pup to the ground.

.  
 _ _Sooo not a morning person... But whaddaya know, the pup's still here.__

The very sleepy girl struggled to a sitting position with some difficulty. She rubbed her eyes and watched the tiny nightstalker jump around the dead fire, every landing a bit awkward.  
Sian had to laugh as she watched it leaping around. The sun rose steadily while she was looking for something to eat, hoping the little nightstalker was already weaned.  
She found some crispy squirrel bits that still looked edible.

Gazing back at the puppy, she looked just in time to see a ray of sunshine land on its fur, making it glow in a warm, golden sheen.  
It made a word appear in her mind, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I guess that settles it, then.. Aurelio it is, the golden one... Come here, boy, I got some food."

The newly christened Aurelio came running haphazardly, and plonked down in her lap, staring expectantly at the meat in her hand. He'd need more meat to grow, but Sian guessed the young nightstalker would hunt as they travelled on.

XXXXXXXXXX

It took a while to get on the road again, but about an hour after sunrise, Sian was on her way, Aurelio nestled safely in her bag, peeking out from under the flap.

She checked the map of her new Pipboy, deciding where she would go next.  
Sian thought about going to Vegas, it was where she should have been, anyway. But someone had mentioned a Mojave Express Station in Primm. That sounded like a good starting point.  
Something was drawing her south anyway. And inexplicable feeling, telling her that it was where she needed to go.

The girl didn't know if the old Sian listened to gut feelings much, but this new one couldn't resist the pull..

__South it is... Hope we find a merchant or something soon.. We need some food and I'm not yet desperate enough for Gecko steak._ _

The blue haired girl and her pet met with little resistance on their way to Primm. There was a Powder Ganger camp at an intersection, but Sian got around it without being seen. That wasn't even particularly hard.  
Frankly, it was harder dodging the sludge from the bloatfly that seemed intent on harassing her. She felt vindicated when it exploded from a bullet.

Trigger-happy as ever, Sian almost shot the man running up to her when Primm came into view. Gruff and unfriendly, he told her that the city of Primm was off limits to civilians due to a stand-off with escaped convicts.

"You'll find," Sian started with a lofty, arrogant tone of voice, "That I'm more than capable of dealing with a couple of thugs."

"Yeah? Fine. Just stick to the right side of the overpass and I did my job." The man sounded affronted.

Sian walked into what seemed a improvised military camp, remembering what Doc Mitchell had told her about the NCR.

He'd said they wanted power and land, but were spread too thin to prove real resistance against the Legion. He also said, they taxed their citizens into oblivion.  
The taxes, she couldn't know about, but the few soldiers they had here, looked ragged and tired.  
Deciding she needed more information, Sian went to look for the Commander of this sorry excuse for a camp.  
Stepping through a tent flap, she met a lone man in uniform and a certain air of authority.

"You in charge of this.. place?"

The man looked surprised to see a civilian.

"Name's Hayes. I'm the Lieutenant and C.O. here. We don't get civilians very often. How may I help you, Ma'am?"

He was politer than she expected and the girl relaxed immediately. She came a bit closer, keeping an eye on him, in case his demeanour changed.

"Well," she started with a disarming smile, "what is there to tell about the situation? I have business in Primm and was told it was off limits. What's the situation?"

The Lieutenant heaved a sigh. He sat at the table and gestured her to sit down.

"I'm not supposed to tell civilians about our situation, but I'm past giving a damn. You'd like a beer?," He asked, reaching underneath the table.

When Sian nodded, he withdrew two bottles, uncorking them and handed one to the girl.

He toasted her and continued: "A little while ago, some convicts at the NCR Correctional Facility staged a mutiny and killed the guards that couldn't get away. Since then, they've been wreaking havoc in the area and some have taken over the Bison Steve Hotel in Primm. The Top Brass wants us to secure the City because it's an important trade location. I'd like to help the citizens get rid of the threat these 'Powder Gangers' pose. But we hardly have the man power to cover our own asses. It's.. not the best of situations."

Sian peered into her half empty bottle thoughtfully.

"So, your bosses expect you to work a miracle, but won't give you anything you actually need to do that? Sounds unfulfilling. Why do you still maintain your post? Is the NCR really worth this? What's so great about them anyway? I don't really know much about the Republic, but what I've seen, doesn't make me very hopeful."

"Where do you come from that you haven't heard of the NCR? Never mind, it doesn't matter much. If you haven't heard of us, you must not be from the Legion. Put simply, the NCR is the greatest nation currently functioning."

"Ha! You sound like a textbook, man! What do you really think? I'm not interested in government issue lies, I want the truth, so I can form my own opinion."

Hayes looked at this kid opposite him. She seemed to be in her late teens at the most. Kids that age should be with their families, believing the lies about goodness and virtue, not running around the wasteland with scars and cuts. His gaze lingered a bit on the fresh wound near her hairline, wondering what to tell this unusual girl.

Grabbing another two bottles, he handed her one.

"Fine.. The NCR wants too much, too quickly. We're spread far too thin to keep everybody in line and stop the Legion, at the same time, Our supply caravans keep getting robbed, our people are mistrusted by the locals, and the Legion.. They are.. skilled at breaking the soldiers' morale. Most of the men I served with always keep a spare bullet on them. Anything to avoid torture and crucifixion. But the NCR is safe. We keep our people safe. Our military costs taxes and people don't like parting with their money. I understand why people mistrust us, why they hate us even, but I honestly don't see any..."

The Lieutenant stopped abruptly and stared at his beer, then at the girl suspiciously.  
Had two bottles loosened his tongue that much? Or was it this girl, who asked good questions, ones that he could never discuss with his subordinates?  
He threw a long look at Sian, who was still smiling sweetly.  
Oh well, what harm could she do?

"You said, you had business in Primm, Miss? I'd love to help you, but I can't sacrifice my men. I'm sorry."

Sian mulled this over, weighing her options. The decision was already made, really..

"Look, Hayes, how about I give it a try? No, hear me out. I try to take them out tonight, in the cover of darkness. That way, with me being a civilian who just didn't listen to you, you didn't defy orders. And if I get rid of them, we might be able to rally some people help with the prison."

Hayes looked upset.

"I don't want to send you to slaughter, kid. What makes you think you can kill them all?"

"Well," she started, a little cocky as always, "I think myself, skilled at long range combat. Give me a suppressor for a Varmint Rifle and ignore any gun shots you hear until sunrise. Oh, and I need another small favour."

Sian smiled as she took Aurelio out of her bag and set him on the table. Hayes recoiled in shock, recognizing just what sat there. Sian just laughed.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant. He's just a puppy. I found him last night and he doesn't do very much yet except eat and sleep. But I can't take him with me, he could catch a bullet or such. Please, Hayes, I'll clear the city for you, just keep my little Aurelio save," when Hayes sent her an incredulous look, she waved it off, a lie slipping from her lips with ease, "I read it in a book and a doctor, a Follower I believe, told me it means 'the golden one'. If you look at this little bugger in the sunlight, you'll see why it fits. So, will you keep him here while I'm gone? Like I said, he's far to small to do anything and his poison glands aren't even fully functional yet."

Aurelio had traipsed over the table, emphasizing his injured leg, and sniffed the man's hand. He gave out an indignant little yip, and butted his head against it until the man started petting him.

"Fine, fine. I appreciate the help. You have till sunrise, then we come and get you. I'll equip you with a better Rifle, with a scope and Silencer, and I'll taker care of your little mutant here.."

Sian had no idea how she managed that, but she didn't care, either way.  
 _Now, if he'd give her a gun, food should be possible as well.._

"Tell me Hayes," Sian addressed the soldier with wide eyes and a wider smile, "Do you have some food around here? We have some time to kill, after all."

The Lieutenant smiled and gathered some food and two NukaColas. They sat and chatted until the blood red sky signalled it was time for her to gear up.


	6. Chapter 5 - Fireworks. Or not...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was an idiot and posted chapter six instead of five...  
> So as a little "make up" I'll upload five, six, and seven ^^''

When night started to fall, Sian was in Lieutenant Hayes tent, getting ready.  
He had brought her a Varmint rifle with night-vision scope and suppressor, which was currently lying on the table.  
Hayes watched her, torn between hoping she was exactly what they needed and cursing himself for letting her do this.  
She was so young, he felt like he was leading a lamb to slaughter.  
But as the Lieutenant observed her, something about her precise movements made him feel more confident. She geared up like his soldiers did, sans the defeated look in her eyes.  
Apparently this wasn't the first time she prepared for battle. An unsettling thought about a girl as young and friendly as she was..

Sian rummaged through her bag, withdrawing a box of ammo for her .45 and stuffed it in her pocket. The combat knife was still in her boot, the gun in its holster on her waist and the machete on her back.  
Hayes had offered her recon armour, but somehow Sian couldn't bring herself to put it on.  
Having the bear on the breast plate just felt wrong.  
She had her own leather jacket, padded enough to give some protection.  
The girl had no idea were it came from, and it was patched many times, showed the signs of many fights she didn't remember. They gave her confidence, these trophies of her toughness.

When the night around them was pitch-black, she pulled her hair into a ponytail, listening to Hayes telling her that the bridge was rigged with mines.

"Well then," she gave him a devilish smirk, "Sit back and watch the Fireworks, Lieutenant."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sian was crouched low in the upper story of a ruined building. The bridge hadn't been that difficult to traverse. She had stepped closer, carefully, to determine the radius she had before the explosives went off.  
To her utter confusion, she got close enough to disarm the mines.   
She was even more confused by the fact, that her hands apparently worked on their own accord.  
Once again, an oft thought question drifted through Sian's mind.

What the hell did I used to do for a living?

Slowly Sian pulled her new rifle from her back and swept the area. Three people were close enough to get rid of quickly.   
Sian stayed down, motionless, and watched the patterns they walked. The girl utilized a patience she didn't even know she had, but the men needed to be close together.  
There! They had meet in the middle to speak.

Ssit. Ssit. Ssit.

Three headshots. Three Powder fucks down. Sian felt awesome but kept a low profile, just waiting, for surely more were going to show up soon.  
And she was right. Not ten minutes later, someone showed on the old broken rollercoaster tracks. She took aim and the man dropped from the railing a few seconds later.  
Out of the corner of her eyes, the silent assassin caught a guy slamming shut the front doors of the Hotel.

Okay then.. Front doors are out.. But every hotel has to have a back door.

Sian snuck towards the back of the complex, dispatching thugs whenever she saw them.  
Overhead on the second floor, she saw a landing and a door.

Jackpot! Now, how to get up there... The rollercoaster seems to.. Aw frak, that thing's rickety as all hell..

She decided to brave it none the less. It was the only option and she had to get in there somehow. The wooden construction surprised her with being a lot more stable than it looked. It creaked a bit here and there, but didn't sway. At least not much...

Reaching the door, she ventured inside the building cautiously. She peered around a corner and spotted a gaggle of escaped convicts. Silencer screwed onto her .45, Sian took a deep breath, swung herself around the corner and fired.  
The ragged men were dead or dying before one of them really understood what was going on. The girl looked down on them with cold malice. Killing the survivors with her blade, she felt a spark of.. contentment, maybe.. She didn't know, nor did she really care. Seeing these worthless human beings... Seeing the light leave their eyes made her happy. And it scared her.

Shut up, Sian! You still have a whole basement to go through, keep it together, girl!  
Just think about this later. For now, just give in...

The young girl was tempted to loot the whole building, but stopped herself. First she'd get rid of the freaks downstairs. Checking her Pipboy, Sian noted she still had about six hours before Lieutenant Hayes sent the cavalry after her. She wanted this done soon.

She came to a stairway, reloading her gun. People could be heard beyond and Sian cursed. The voices sounded far apart, some closer, some further away. Still grumbling under her breath, she took the gun in her left and pulled the machete with her right. This was not going to be easy..

Sian barged through the door, yelling and shooting. Startling her opponents seemed like the best bet in the current situation. And it actually worked. The first few men went down without much of a struggle and the exhilaration of killing returned to her, until a bullet found a way in her shoulder. Still, in the confusion she had strewn, most of those still alive had hidden themselves around corners and random furniture, taking Sian out of their line of sight.  
The wound burned and the bullet was lodged firmly in her shoulder, but it wasn't anything that could stop her. A door to her right looked good for a temporary escape plan and she charged at it with her uninjured shoulder.

It gave way and just around the corner, she was locked in close combat with a filthy, ragged man.  
The smell made her recoil slightly, but she didn't falter. Jumping back two paces, she executed an upward strike into the vile creature's stomach, the tip of her blade exiting through his back.  
The warm blood gushing over her hand made her stomach leap. The beast was clawing at her insides again, demanding to be let loose.  
She still heard the thugs shouting, trying to find her. The dark clad woman stealthily slipped into kitchen and saw a man kneeling behind the counter, hands bound.  
She was about to lay a finger on her lips when the stupid, blonde shithead yelled!

Sian stiffened when she heard a crackling behind her..  
She couldn't place the sound, but her brain and even the bloodthirsty beast inside her yelled to get out of the way. Every nerve ending in her body raised alarm, and instincts took over completely.

She rolled sideways in the nick of time.  
She had already felt the heat on her and now, as she looked where that idiot had been sitting, she saw him engulfed in flames. The Powder Fuck's leader had a fucking flamethrower!  
The smell of the burning flesh sent her over the edge and, the beast finally free, the blue haired girl flew over the counter top, the black machete in her hands poised in a downward angle.  
Sian drove the point of her blade into the leader's skull and she buried the blade up to the hilt.  
She flew into a frenzy now and the three remaining men ran, never standing a chance against her newly awakened blood lust.

When the killing was done, she sat for a while, waiting for the adrenaline to wear off a bit.  
It was around 3 in the morning and she still had a hotel to loot.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Working herself from top to bottom, she found some guns and ammo. The Powder Gangers had almost nothing of use on them. The occasional stimpack, a few random bullets.  
Some had food or water, but Sian almost retched at the thought of taking anything edible off a filthy corpse.  
It wasn't until the ground floor, that she really found anything of value.  
The girl found a safe in the gift shop. She had no idea how to open it, but a safe meant valuables.  
Looting the drawers for a screwdriver and bobby pins, she decided to let her instincts take over again. To her surprise, she sucked at picking locks and this realization made her inexplicably happy.

Her slender fingers eased the second pin into lock and, working carefully, she'd found one thing this old Sian wasn't good at. This was a skill that the new girl could master, with all the failing and learning that came with it.  
It took half an hour and 12 pins until she heard the click that signalled an opened lock.

She took everything out. Some pre-war money, a book titled "Tales of a Junktown Jerky vendor" -weird title, but it was a book. That was good enough for Sian- an then a gun.  
Sian didn't like revolvers too much, but this one was special. A sleek black metal with gold etchings and an ivory handle. A little plague on the barrel showed this was 'Lucky'.

Huh, might hold on to this one... Little luck never goes amiss.  
Now, head back over, still have an hour before sunrise, but someone should dig that bullet out of my shoulder, that's starting to actually hurt. Just wanna see if that one guy has anything of value.

She made her way back to the kitchens. Looking at the charred corpse, Sian felt nothing.  
His yelling almost got her barbecued, tough luck that she was faster.

She looked him over and found a holotape on him.

She placed it in her Pipboy and listened.

And THIS guy was the law around here?! I did these people a freaking favour!

Mindless drivel, more mindless drivel, mor- Wait, checkered suit?!  
-

She and the man locked eyes. Time seemed to stand still.

"Truth is... The game was rigged from the start."

-  
Okay, this does it. I'm finding this prick! Maybe he knows who I was...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sian was deep in thought as she crossed the bridge just before sunrise. She didn't even notice Hayes running towards her from the other side.

"Oh thank God! I wasn't gonna wait more than five minutes to come get you! You took your sweet time, did- Your shoulder! Come on," He sighed at her, took her uninjured arm and let her towards his tent, "I'll get one of my men to get that looked at and then you need food and sleep. Sian, you really are something else, you know."

The girl smiled and allowed herself to be led towards the tents. The LT was a nice guy and it was a great feeling that someone cared about her well-being.   
She felt like she should be more withdrawn and suspicious of people, but, what the hell.. She would just enjoy these situations as they came along. And it had been a long night, she'd been shot, had almost been set on fire, and had created a real massacre. She deserved some down time with someone fussing over her.  
Still grinning, Sian turned her face to the man next to her.

"Let me get some rest first, then I'll tell you all about it, deal?"


	7. Chapter 6 - The cost of Battle

Sian was retelling her little adventure while the camp's designated medic dug the bullet out of her shoulder. After downing half a bottle of whiskey, the girl didn't even feel the tongs digging around in the wound.

Lieutenant Hayes had badgered her into giving him a sitrep and Sian had complied, simply to shut him up. By the time she finished the story and the bottle, it seemed like every soldier, not on guard, had crowded around the tent entrance to listen to the girl.

"Well, missy.. I wasn't sure how well you'd do, but I have to say, I'm very impressed. If you ever wanna enlist, tell me. I call dib's on having you in my unit." Hayes' eyes had lit up as he watched the young warrior before him. She hadn't moved a muscle during the whole procedure and had spoken with no emotion. This Sian was the perfect soldier. But the Lt also saw that her eyes were red-rimmed and that she was suppressing a yawn every now and then. He ordered his men back to their stations and practically forced Sian to lay down on his cot and sleep. It was morning already, but the girl needed to rest.

After minimal protest, Sian slunk over to the cot and collapsed onto it. Aurelio came to snuggle up to his mistress, and the alcohol, as well as the exhaustion of the night caught up with the small woman.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sian slept for a few hours and awoke shortly after 2 PM. She groaned a bit, her sleep once again had been restless because of her nightmares, but seeing as no one had shaken her awake, apparently she'd suffered through them in silence. She found Hayes, got some food into her and then ventured into Primm to talk with the residents there. The first place she wanted to check out, was the Mojave Express office. Maybe they could tell her something about her botched delivery.

Johnson and Ruby Nash had heard that the Powder Ganger threat had been dealt with. The NCR troopers had come sometime in the morning to tell the residents that they could safely return to their homes. And from what they'd understood, the young girl who'd just walked in through the door was the cause of that. While she looked around, Ruby ran to her and pulled the girl into a smothering embrace. Sian stiffened, but kept herself from lashing out at the older woman.

"Oh, my sweet girl. Thank you for getting rid of these lowlifes for us. When the troopers told us some kid cleared out the Bison Steve, we couldn't believe it, but we saw the result with our own eyes. You did well, honey." Ruby was holding the girl at an arms length, examining her and talking at the speed of light. Sian didn't know how to react and looked to the man at the counter, hoping for some kind of help from him.

"Ruby, let the poor girl go, before y'break her shoulder. Name's Johnson, Johnson Nash. And the crazy person holding ya is my wife Ruby. Can't thank ya enough for clearin the trash from our home. Now, what can I do ya for?"

Sian freed herself from Ruby's iron grip and rummaged through her bag for the delivery note.

"You run the Mojave Express, right? I was a courier for the Express but I got jumped, and my delivery's been stolen. Can you tell me something about the job?"

Johnson took the slip from her and studied it carefully. He grumbled a bit, then flipped through a registry.

"I remember this one. A strange request from the start. This robot cowboy comes in here and hires a bunch of couriers to haul some junk clear across the desert. We had this one guy pegged for your delivery, you were only meant as a backup, y'know, but he comes in here, takes a look at the list and tells me he ain't doin the job. Looks me straight in the eye an says:' Let courier six do it.' Strange fella', gave up a lot of caps. I can't tell ya much more though, sorry girlie."

Sian felt a bit disappointed, but not too much. The robot Johnson was talking about had to be Victor, the Securitron who had dug her out of the shallow grave. The girl hadn't talked to him much, finding the cheery disposition a mite unsettling, but she knew where to find him if her chase for the suited man went south. Sian looked at the small round robot lying on the counter. It looked broken, but the exterior seemed intact.

"Hey, Johnson.. You mind if I take a look at your buddy here? Maybe I can fix him up for you?" Sian was already prodding the little robot, not waiting for an answer.

"Hell, if y'can fix that thing up, it's all yours. Been thinking 'bout hauling that thing to the scrap yard, but y'know, old bones and all..."

Sian climbed onto a bar stool and started opening the metal casing. Just as she thought, the exterior was a bit banged up, but the real problem was the electronics inside. The girl once again let her instincts take over and she was pretty sure she could fix the wires. She just had to circumvent the broken parts. Asking for, and receiving some wires, Sian set to work. It took over an hour, in which she thought numerous times that the thing would blow up on her, but when she closed the hatch and powered the little robot up with shaking fingers, he simply beeped and shot upward, hovering a foot over the counter.

"Well, whaddaya know.. You actually did it. It's yours now, like I promised."

Sian smiled happily as she listened to the log playing from the metal orb, and when it finished, she started the companion protocol.

The Nash's invited Sian to eat something with them, and while the girl's mouth was being burned away by radscorpion stew from hell, the elderly couple and her talked about the lack of law in town. Sian shared their opinion that the NCR probably wasn't the best option, seeing how inefficient they'd been during the powder ganger situation. Not to mention, they still hadn't been able to retake their prison. Johnson told her about a man named Meyers, currently an inmate in the NCR correctional facility. Sian mulled over this information and thought that a hardened, experienced sheriff would be exactly what this town needed.

"You know, Hayes' owes me a favour.. I might be able to convince him, that retaking the prison by force is the right course of action. I'll go talk to him."

Sian said her goodbyes and was happy to escape Ruby's concoction of liquid fire. She marched over to the small camp and, once again, found the lieutenant in his tent.

"Hayes! I have a proposition for you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She sat him down at the table and somehow managed to convince the man, that retaking the NCRCF was a good idea. It took awhile, but finally he called for sergeant Lee, so the three of them could plan a covert mission to take out the powder ganger's leader and also, how to wrangle a pardon for Meyers out of the NCR.

Waiting for the cover of darkness, Sian and the sergeant had told the little group of soldiers the plan.

They would get to a ridge overlooking the prison, take out the guards in the watchtowers first. Then came the ones' patrolling the yard. Inside the buildings would be harder, but still they expected to make it through, with minimal loss of life. At least Sian hoped that. She didn't have a good first impression of NCR, but these people had been nice to her and she didn't want any of them to die. The first phase of the plan went without hitch. The silenced rifles raised no suspicion and the tower guards fell inward instead of over the railing. Sian herself got the man guarding the entrance, a clean shot to the throat. Inside however..

Close combat was always messier than ranged, especially since none of the soldier boys' had any melee skills. More than once she had to dodge a bullet from behind.

Should have fucking gone alone... I'll end up dead, if I don't watch out. Stupid children!

When the slaughter in the small room ceased, Sian was approached by a man who introduced himself as Meyers. She quickly found out that he'd been imprisoned for taking the law into his own hands, something the girl could empathize with.

"Listen, head towards Primm and go talk to Johnson Nash. He'll set you up with a place to sleep for now. I'm headed to the Outpost after this and I'm pretty sure I'll get that pardon for you."

Sian and sergeant Lee took point and, with their small team, swept the cell blocks and eliminated all the threats. They did find some interesting loot, though. The last building left, had to be where the ring leader of this little gang of fuckups was currently hiding out.

One of the younger soldiers with them, pulled a flash bang out of his pocket, eased out the pin and lobbed it through the door, which was hastily slammed shut by another trooper. When they heard it go off, count to three, they stormed in, using the confusion to their advantage. And while Sian preferred stealth, she couldn't help but enjoy cutting through the confused enemies. Beside her, the young man who'd thrown the light grenade was laughing joyously, clearly thrilled that his manoeuvrer had such an effect. His happiness was contagious, really, and Sian laughed along with him.

Then the leader showed up, followed by his bodyguards. They were a lot more battle skilled and though as nails. The laughing boy next to her went down with a shout and Sian snarled like an animal. She had kept the beast under control all this time, but now, all reason abandoned her. Looking positively feral, the girl launched herself at the oncoming men with her machete. They backed away at her wildness, and through some kind of miracle, Sian hardly even got hurt. One guy with brass knuckles and an impressive Mohawk managed to land a blow to her ribs, but his cocky grin slid off his face when she didn't miss a beat, her blade driving through his throat.

It took some time, but soon every powder ganger lay dead upon the ground, along with their boss. Sian didn't care as for now. She walked back to where the soldier had fallen. His eyes were dead, but he still had a faint smile etched on his face. Sian didn't know what to say or do. This was a battle, casualties were to be expected. The rational part of her brain told her, this boy just hadn't been strong enough, but she still felt her eyes prick. He'd been so happy, that he had helped. So eager to fight. Without thinking, she grabbed the shawl covering half his face. She'd keep it, and she'd remember him, remember that battle meant, people die. And that sometimes, these people were on your side.

She shook herself and stood, joining the other soldiers in looting the building. The only thing of value to her was the book she found, Lying - Congressional Style, and some ammunition and caps. She also grabbed a pair of sunglasses, that looked to be in pretty good shape.

On the way back, they all were silent. Carrying their fallen comrade demanded for respectful silence, and Sian felt incredibly guilty. She'd suggested they take the prison, she'd led them there and it was her fault that a man was now dead. Sergeant Lee shot her a few glances, but didn't try to speak to her. When they'd reached the camp, she desperately wanted to hide herself away. But Lee pulled her to Hayes' tent, and with help of the lieutenant, explained to her that the outcome was not her fault.

"Nobody blames you for Cooper's death," Hayes told her gently. "The boy enlisted, knowing full well this could happen. I hate it just as much, but every fight demands casualties. And we retook the prison. Lee said, you guys wiped out the remaining convicts. That's a big thing. They'll stop harassing the town now and travelers are safer again. You did exceptionally well. And now, you need sleep. Come."

He led her over to his cot again, not listening to her protest. He'd take a bedroll on the floor for the night. Sian felt tired and her ribs hurt, but sleep didn't come to her for hours.


	8. Chapter 7 - Traversing the Wastes

Sian had dozed off sometime during the night and awoke shortly after the sun had risen. Aurelio was already up and seemingly had a lot of fun in annoying Hayes, who was only just waking up. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her puppy head-butting the Lt, who simply groaned in response.

"Instead of laughing at me, you could get that thing away.." His voice was raspy from sleep, as he pushed himself off the ground. The man stretched, turned towards the young girl and nearly choked on a yawn. Sian was standing, her shirt pulled up to completely expose waist and stomach, up to her chest. He was so perplexed by her apparent obliviousness, it took him a moment to notice the skull sized bruise on her rib cage that she was examining. Hayes sighed, grabbed a first aid kit and sat on a chair.

"Come over here. Those need to be at least bandaged," Sian did as she was told and he started to tap on her ribs to see if any were broken. Finding no fractures, he administered a stimpack and started to tightly wrap bandages around her small frame.

"You really have to be careful, pulling your shirt up like that. Guys out there might see that as an invitation. You can't go around doing stuff like that, you hear?"

Sian just stared down at him. She hadn't really thought about what she was doing. And he didn't seem to see it as an invitation...

"Well, if it's really that big of a deal, I'll remember not to do that anymore. I just.. I didn't think anything of it."

Her blue-grayish eyes were wide and innocent, betraying how young she really was, and Hayes had to suppress another sigh.

"That's the whole problem.. Just remember what I said. No pulling your clothes up around people, got it?"

Sian smiled and nodded. She grabbed her gear and thanked Hayes for everything, the food, shelter and medical aid he'd given to a stranger. He just waved it off, stuffed some bottles of water and some food into her bag and gave her a letter he'd written the night before.

"Give this to Major Knight at Mojave outpost. It's a request for the pardon. You might need some talking to convince him, but we both know that you can do that," he smirked down at her and she replied in kind.

"Don't be a stranger, you hear? Come by when you're in the vicinity, let us know how you're doing."

"Will do, Lt. Try and not get overrun out here. I think Meyers will be a big help to you. Good luck, Hayes. See you around."

Sian didn't feel like drawing this out. She left the tent without looking back, stopping only shortly in Primm for ammunition and to pick up Eddie who she'd left to power up completely. She was on the road soon, the robot hovering alongside her and Aurelio running a few paces ahead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She thought about Hayes' warning. It made sense, of course, and she'd heed his words from here on out, but it had never, not for a second, occurred to her that she was maybe sending the wrong message. She'd have to be careful, never again not think about the consequences of her actions. Somehow, she suspected the old Sian had known this, and she felt angry that she'd forgotten something so basic.

Around midday, after clearing a little station house of raiders, the girl decided a short break was in order. Her ribs hurt again and she was hungry. Digging into some packed squirrel stew and a NukaCola she'd found, Sian just thought about what she'd learned about the New California Republic in the last few days. Individually, the soldiers she had met had all been friendly to her. One or two had given her weird glances, that had made her shiver, but neither had approached her. But in everyone of that camp, she'd seen the tiredness. They were all sick of being stationed in some shitty little wasteland town, she was sure of it. The NCR was done for, if all their soldiers were as jaded and weary as the ones' she had met in Primm. She absent-mindedly dug through her bag for a pouch of healing powder when her fingers caught on a chain.

Intrigued, she pulled the bag closer, and found a concealed little pocket with a golden chain having slipped out a bit. She withdrew it and held the cap sized pendant before her eyes. It was golden, but looked slightly weathered. On its face there was an etching of a man's head. He was wearing a winged cap and looked.. regal, somehow.. Turning it over, she noticed the reverse side was plain, but someone had crudely etched the number six into it. She was courier six. Had she done this? Sian slipped the fine chain around her neck and let the pendant rest on her chest. It felt familiar, she was sure this belonged to her. But it looked expensive and the girl decided to wear it underneath her shirt. What people couldn't see, they wouldn't be tempted to steal. Also, it had been hidden in her bag. It must have been meant to be kept a secret. She lay her hand on the pendant and could feel its shape through the thin fabric of her shirt. It gave her a boost, made her feel stronger. She liked that. Why had she even taken it off in the first place?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She finally made it to the freaking outpost at around 6 PM. She would have been there sooner but the damn underpass was overrun with giant ants. They weren't difficult to dispose of, her taking on the nearest and Eddie firing at the ones' further away. It was still annoying as all hell and she was ragged and dirty when she made it up the hill.

Find Major Knight. Get food. Find bed.. God, this day sucked...

Sian stepped through the doors of the HQ and came pretty much face to face with the Major. It took very little talking on her side to get him to grant the pardon and send it over to Primm, which she was very thankful for. On a whim, Sian asked if they needed any work done and was referred to Ranger Jackson. When he'd told her to clear the underpass from critters, the girl laughed so hard she almost forgot to breathe.

"What the hell is so goddamn funny? The job beneath you somehow?" Jackson sounded pissed and Sian struggled to get words out beneath her laughter.

"No.. No, I'm sorry.. It's just, I already took care of them on the way here. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound disrespectful, these bugs just jumped me outta nowhere and I cleared them out pretty easily. You guys could've done it in a few minutes."

Jackson still looked a bit miffed, but he had a problem less and you hardly ever heard anyone laugh up here anymore.

"Yeah, we could've cleared them out, but we're under strict orders to not leave the Outpost. I don't like it either, but that's the way it is. Anyways, I had planned to give the person to clear it out some lost supplies. A service rifle, some caps and food.."

Sian contemplated what he'd said. The NCR couldn't even take care of some bugs because that would mean two freaking soldiers being away from base for less than an hour... Geez, they sounded better and better all the time... The supplies were tempting though.

"Keep the service rifle, I like my varmint rifle better, it's stealthier. But some food and medical supplies would be much appreciated. If you have any to spare.." Jackson didn't quite smile at the girl, but his moustache crinkled amused. He ended up giving her a first aid kit, some MRE's and a pouch of caps. The kid seemed exhausted, so he sent her off to the barracks and she made her way over immediately.

In the small bar, she noticed a redhead drinking at the bar, currently spouting out profanities to a soldier. Sian sneered at her in disgust. Drinking was just fine, but this behaviour was vile. She sunk down into an empty cot and was fast asleep before her head hit the pillow.

The next day, Sian got up with the sun, as usual, and got herself some breakfast at the bar. The drunk woman from last night was passed out at the bar and Sian ignored her. The barkeep mentioned a Ranger Ghost and the blue haired girl decided to climb the ramp up to the roof to speak with her. After a short conversation with a woman even paler than herself, Sian was on her way east. Apparently there was trouble in Nipton...


	9. Chapter 8 - A Taste of the Legion

Sian had walked into the steadily rising sun half the morning, keeping her eyes on the barely visible pillars of smoke over her destination. Every step closer got her more excited, more apprehensive about what she would find in the town of Nipton. She was halfway there before anything of interest happened. She heard gunshots erupt from the ruined building on the side of the road and saw raiders shooting down two wastelanders. She didn't care for the travellers, but she hated raider trash and the anticipation of what the day would bring made her frisky and trigger-happy. She and Eddie made short work of the scum, while Aurelio stayed nestled safely in her bag. After she'd looted anything of value, including some weird bottle caps with stars on them, Sian pulled Cooper's shawl up to cover half her face and pulled the mirrored aviators on, then with her goal in her sights, she pressed onward to Nipton.

Approaching the smouldering town, Sian screwed the silencer onto her .45. She didn't really know why, but it seemed like the right thing to do. And when a insane-looking man startled her because came running towards her, screaming, she reacted upon instinct and pulled the trigger. He crumpled to the ground and Sian carefully ventured further into town.

The air was filled with the sickening, sweet smell of burnt flesh, fresh blood and fear. It gave her a sinking feeling in the gut and her body trembled in anticipation.  
Walking up to the biggest building, she took note of the crucified that seamed the road and she felt her stomach lurch.  
The sight of the men lashed to the crosses sent waves of irrational fear washing through her all of a sudden,but the girl pushed the unsettling sensation to the back of her mind. She had noticed some men at the end of the road and seeming unfazed by the carnage became imperative. She holstered her weapon, so as not to appear hostile, and continued walking towards them.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

How he hated crucifixions.. Every time he had someone flogged and then lashed onto the cross, every muscle in his back cramped up painfully.  
He hated being able to empathize with this vermin, but there was nothing to be done about it.  
His hand found the small amulet around his neck, a golden pendant with a fox carved into it. Whenever he encountered some part of his work that he couldn't just shrug off, the familiar shape would help him focus. It had been a gift upon his being made Decanus and belonged to his most treasured possessions.  
Suppressing the shiver the crosses sent up his spine, he turned his head away and instead opted to watch the corpse of Mayor Steyn slowly disintegrating in the flames. That man was disgusting, a prime example of why the town had met this cruel fate. He had been willing to sell out the town's patrons and now had experienced how the Legion felt about disloyalty.

Vulpes Inculta stood underneath the scorching midday sun, not at all fazed by its glare. He surveyed the fruits of his labour with a smug smile.  
Another lesson taught in the name of the great Caesar.  
It had taken an entire night and half a day, but every living soul in this scarlet town had felt the Legion's justice. Turning this into a lottery had been an excellent idea, much more entertaining than mindless slaughter. He had shown these people just how greedy and selfish they'd been, and then seen their eyes when they realized that they would die next. It was this pleasure in his work, that lead even fellow legionaries to fear him.

He was about to order his men to pack up when something at the end of the road caught his attention. A young woman came walking up to him, seemingly not at all bothered by the dead and dying around her. A little robot bobbed through the air just behind her. Vulpes watched her from the top of the town hall stairs. Something about her seemed a little off.. Her walk almost reminded him of someone and very few people were that small.  
He examined the girl as she drew closer to him and his men, no fear apparent. She had hair in a shade of blue that he had never seen before, and it was very long, hung halfway down her back. Very impractical for a wasteland life...  
He saw almost nothing of her face, the girl was wearing sunglasses and a shawl was covering her face, protecting mouth and nose against the sand presumably. She packed quite a few weapons, walked with courage and her movements were nearly feline. The Fox found himself staring at her, and shook himself out of his reverie.  
This woman could not have come at a more opportune moment, with the wound he had slashed into the Mojave still fresh and bleeding.  
Keeping his face completely impassive, he started walking down the steps, approaching the town square where she had stopped, simply looking at him.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Sian stood on the little open patch before the building and watched the man descending the steps to meet her. His apparel seemed outlandish, a leather skirt and.. football gear..  
It should appear hilarious, but it came together very well and empathized his tall, sinewy build. He was wearing a coyote head dress and large, black goggles obscured his eyes. What she could see of his face was all pale skin, sharp angles and a determined expression. The way he held himself showed a certain authority and Sian assumed that he was the leader of this little group.  
When he was only two feet away from her, he stopped and stared down at her for a few seconds.

 

"Do not worry, I will not have you lashed to a cross like the rest of the degenerates. It is useful that you happened by here." He spoke with a cold drawl, raising the hairs on the back of Sian's neck. She'd have to be very careful around him. This man was dangerous in a way she had not yet experienced. For now, the girl kept silent as he continued.

"I want you to witness the fate of the town of Nipton, to memorize every detail. And then, when you move on? I want you to teach everyone you meet the lesson that Caesar's Legion taught here, especially any NCR troops you run across."

"All I see, is a massacre. What was the lesson that you planned to teach here? Why wipe out an entire town? And why in this.. showy.. manner?" Sian's voice was even, not a drawl like his, but betraying no emotion nonetheless.

Vulpes faltered for a second. He couldn't tell why, but something about this girl was unsettling. Maybe that she didn't seem to be afraid of him? He forced all his thoughts back to the topic at hand.

"Where to begin? That they are weak, and we are strong? This much was known already. But the depths of their moral sickness, their dissolution? Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson," he spread his arms, motioning to the destruction around him.

"Nipton was a wicked place, debase and corrupt. It served all comers so long as they paid. Profligate troops, powder gangers, men of the legion such as myself - the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores..." Sian noted his voice was now tinged with something, pride, maybe, at what he'd done here. She found herself listening with rapt attention. This was her first contact with the Legion, the chance she had been secretly hoping for. Entranced by his voice, and what she read in it, the girl couldn't look away from his face.

"For a pittance, the town agreed to lead those it sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang it did they realize they were caught inside it, too."

The girl crossed her arms, and looked around her. Vulpes noted that neither the burning bodies, nor the heads on the pikes seemed to bother her, but never once did her gaze land on the crucified.

"So, because you wanted to make an example of them, you killed them all.. How?" she asked, facing him again.

"My men herded them to the centre of town, right where we now stand. I told them their sins, the foremost being disloyalty. I told them that when Legionaries are disloyal some are punished, others made to watch. And then I announced the lottery." The man allowed a wicked smile to creep over his face.  
"Each clutched his ticket, hoping it would set him free. Each did nothing, even when 'loved ones' were dragged away to be killed."

The blue haired girl noticed how derisive he spoke of loved ones. If what he said was true, then these people had deserved what they had gotten. Being too cowardly to save someone they loved.. It was the pinnacle of disloyalty. She thought about what he'd said. The Legion's punishment wasn't pretty, but it was impressive in its own way. She pulled down her shawl to her chin and the Fox could see the corners of her lips rise for the fraction of a second.

"The Legion's justice has a definite purity. I admire the message it sends."

"It has a stark beauty, doesn't it? I'm glad you can appreciate it. Now go, and teach them what you learned here. There will be more lessons in the days ahead." Vulpes turned to leave, when she called for him unexpectedly. He faced her again, gazing at her with carefully veiled confusion.

"I will do as you ask, if...," she could hardly believe that she was doing this. No matter that she agreed with their actions here, it didn't mean that these men weren't dangerous. But here, now, that damned reckless streak of hers reared its ugly head, "...if you do something for me first."

Vulpes was floored. This was new...  
He occasionally spared someone to spread the word of his atrocities, but they usually scrambled to get away from him. This girl had the audacity to demand something of him, seemed not to realize how lucky she was to be alive. He growled low in his throat.  
Calling him out like that, in front of his men, simply assuming that she was in a position to make demands, challenged his authority.  
Every other woman, he would have put in her place, but something about this one's voice stopped him. Somehow, he enjoyed her differentness, the boldness she displayed.  
If he were alone right know, he might let his baser instincts take the lead, but instead he just decided to see if he could make her uncomfortable. After all, she still had a message to convey for him...

He came closer to the girl, who was at least a foot shorter than him, and she didn't back away, even when he was only inches from her. She just stood her ground, the ghost of a smirk on her face. Feisty little minx..

"And what might I do for you?" He purred at her and smiled eerily when she couldn't suppress a shiver and her head twitched away a bit. His voice always had this effect, this time was no different.  
But when the girl looked up at him, her face was set, her expression the slightest bit amused. It suddenly bothered him that he couldn't see her eyes. He had trouble reading this woman. The proximity between them served to make him uneasy as well, for reasons he didn't understand. There was something about her that exuded power, authority even.

"I want answers. I have been told many things about the Legion, mainly not to get within three feet of a legionary. But I want to hear the other side. I want to know what the Legion is, what values you stand behind and what plans you have for the Mojave. I want to know, which side is the right one to support."

Vulpes Inculta prided himself in being a master of words, capable of finding an answer to everything. But now, he was speechless.  
This was absolutely the last thing he had expected her to say. And, to be honest, it was the first time he ever heard any wastelander wanting to learn about the legion. But he didn't have the time to spare to give her a lesson, a taste of the Legion, even though he very much wanted to.  
He waved for one of his men, a young recruit who had stood at a respectful distance with the others. He addressed the unusual girl again.

"Where are you headed now?"

"Novac."

Sian watched as the man turned to his recruit and addressed him in Latin, making sure her face didn't betray that she understood them. He told the recruit, who looked to be no older than Sian, to get her to her destination safely and then return back to the base camp.  
And he told the boy to not let his guard down. That if she made any move to attack him, he was to bring her to the camp as well. The man in the dog head faced her, his expression unreadable.

"My recruit will escort you to Novac and answer any questions you might have. This is an exceptional favour I grant you. Don't make me regret it. I bid you vale. Until we met again."

Vulpes walked away without looking back, but he still felt her gaze burning into him and her voice echoed inside his head. He'd have to keep an ear out for news of her. The Frumentarii might find use for her in the future.

Sian stood in the ruins of the town, the recruit a few feet away and watched him leave.

Until we meet again... Indeed.

His words sparked something in the girl and the back of her neck prickled. Sian didn't know what to make of that man and he scared her as much as he intrigued her. She turned to the young legionary at her side.

"We should get going as well. Novac is quite a ways. I'm Sian, by the way, and you are?"

She smiled at him and the boy couldn't seem to fight down a small smile of his own.

"My name is Syrus. Come on, let's take the hills. Streets are always infested with raider trash."

It was late already, and they would need to find a place to make camp in an hour or two. Sian and her new companion climbed the rather steep hills in silence for a while, both keeping a close eye on the surroundings. There would be time to talk later and Sian was still preoccupied with Nipton, the man she'd met and the things that had been revealed. There was something about him that wouldn't let her go, something nagging at the back of her mind that she couldn't place. Strangely, despite how uneasy he had made her, and how dangerous he probably was, she looked forward to seeing him again. Sian always enjoyed a good riddle.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

It had grown dark and Sian and her legion companion had found a sheltered ridge to spend the night. It wasn't wise to wander the wastes in the darkness unless you had to. Syrus had built a small fire, just enough to heat up some food and Sian was currently warming the rest of the squirrel stew and some gecko kebab. She pulled out her last two bottles of Sunset Sarsaparilla and passed one to Syrus.  
When the food was warmed, Sian handed him a plate and the nightstalker pup poked its head out of her bag. Syrus recoiled slightly, he hadn't seen the puppy yet, the little mutant having slept the entire day.

" Why the hell do you have that thing with you? It's dangerous!"

Sian just laughed at him. She grabbed her pet and set it on her lap. The girl started feeding him with dainty fingers.

"Calm down. I found him a couple of days ago. He's still a baby and won't hurt anybody. Ain't that right, baby?" She cooed at the puppy a bit, and took some bites of her own.

"Well then, what's his name?"

"Aurelio."

Syrus stared at her, his wide eyes making him look a lot younger.

"That's a Latin name!"

Sian smirked at the boy, a knowing, haughty smirk, her bright blue eyes shining.

He put two and two together immediately. Pointing an accusing finger at her, he exclaimed.

"You speak Latin! You... You understood us!"

Sian threw him a lazy grin and leaned back against a rock behind her.

"Yeah, I did.. Don't plan to attack you, though."

Syrus was still sitting with an open mouth.

"Where the hell did you learn Latin? I thought only we spoke it? Are you.."

The girl sighed.

"Listen, Syrus, I'm gonna level with you. I have no idea where I learned it. I was shot in the head, see," she pulled her hair back to show him the bullet wound. " and thanks to the jackass who tried to kill me, I have no clue about who I used to be. I've heard some Followers speak Latin, so I might used to be one of them. But, hey.. Now I can be who I want to be."

Syrus stared at this unusual girl and started to understand why his boss had sent him to go with her. If she survived being shot in the head, she had to be tougher than anyone he'd ever met. Those wounds looked to be pretty fresh as well. And the way she had so casually spoken about the slaughter at Nipton, with one of the most feared members of Caesar's Legion. She was definitely something else.

Neither he , nor the rest of the Frumentarii, were under the delusion that women were only good as slaves. Sure, they were weaker than men, physically, but one of the first things he'd learned when he was accepted into the esteemed circle of spies and infiltrators, was that women were exceptionally adept at this kind of work. He had been surprised to find how many women Vulpes had willingly supplying him with information.  
Pillow talk, gossip and female confessions, things that a man could never find out. This girl, Sian, she was a sly one, and he'd bet his last Denarius that his boss was thinking about recruiting her in.  
And she wanted to know about the Legion..  
A sense of pride washed over him. He was the newest of the Frumentarii and Vulpes had chosen him to convince this girl that the Legion was the side she should be supporting. If they could keep her away from the main force, that should be possible...

"So, tell me. What would you like to know about the Legion? Now that we're not scaling the hillside anymore, we actually should have the air to talk."

Sian looked at the young man across the fire, the flames dancing across her face. Her stare became hard and unyielding. If not for his training, Syrus might have squirmed under that gaze, bright blue like steel in the sunlight..

"Tell me what the Legion is. What I've seen about your sense of justice, it speaks to me. But I've heard many bad things about the Legion, mainly that you're a band of slaving rapists. I know that there are always two sides to a story. And from what I've seen from the Mojave up to now, I'll have to chose a side eventually.. Why should I side with a faction that sees women as slaves and breeding stock, for I am neither. I am a fighter and that is what I'll always be."

Syrus had hoped that the girl had not yet heard so many bad things about the Legion. He sighed and rubbed his face.  
The man had a fleeting suspicion that Sian would see through any petty lies he could tell, and so he settled on the truth.

"It's not quite like that. Of course we have female slaves, but men can be slaves as well. And where there's slaves and masters, there is always unjust violence. But it's more the exception than the rule. Beating your slaves means they won't be able to work. It's counterproductive, see..” He tied his hardest to sound casual. He'd have to stick to the facts here, make clear that his army only did what was human nature.  
“As for breeding stock, I won't deny it, of course there is the fact that some men in the army take what women don't want to give. But again, it's not all of us who do that. Normal legionaries often have children with slaves, and what happens to those children depends on the men who sire them. But back in Arizona we also have free women who have relationships with soldiers. And everyone over the rank of Decanus usually has a wife, most officers do, in any case. We conquer tribes to expand, but many of us are born into the Legion as well. I was, for example. My mother was a citizen in Flagstaff, worked in the palace. The Legion doctrine is that a woman is beneath the man and is bound to serve, but not everyone believes that. Us Frumentarii, for example, we are infiltrators and we have women helping us. None of these women is weak or worth any less in my eyes. But to be completely honest, soldiers in the main force often believe that woman count less than men and tolerate no disrespect or disobedience from them. As for the general opinion of our adversaries...” He sighed. These rumours about them always made Syrus angry, but Sian's face showed no judgement. She simply listened and that gave the boy hope that she might understand..  
“People call us slaving rapists, because that is our way of warfare. It's a way of breaking morale and weakening the enemies resolve. And it has been around for centuries. The NCR is not better, they do it too, but they hide it."

Sian listened intently. What he said, made her less tense about the thought of being alone with a legionary. And it was what she had suspected all along.  
After all, she had seen wastelanders and troopers throw her glances that made her uncomfortable. She suspected that, if given the chance, men of every walk of life would take advantage of a situation. As for the way the Legion waged war..

"This kind of warfare has been around since the beginning of mankind. I've read a few history books and all of them tell me the same thing. Nobody ever wants to own up to it, but every army commits these acts. I'm guessing, the Legion doesn't hide it because it's a very effective scare-tactic." She smiled kindly at Syrus.  
"Thank you for your honesty on the Legion's view of women and slavery. Now, with that uncomfortable topic out of the way, tell me about what drives the legion."

"Well," he began with a relieved smile, "We put a lot of value on honour, loyalty and the right of the stronger. Rising through the ranks of the Legion means that you've earned it. There is no corruption like in the army of the profligates. We all serve under the great Caesar, and every man under his command would gladly give his life for the cause. We want to free the Mojave, not burn it down.” Sian watched as his eyes started to gleam, clearly, he believed in the cause.  
“Our lands in Arizona and New Mexico are safe, the towns are filled with free citizens and we don't tax our subjects into submission. We have no junkies in the streets and the people are grateful for our protection. Our caravans need no guards, because there's no raider filth running amok. Of course we want to expand and we want rid people of their dissolute beliefs, but we don't want to drown the desert in blood."

Sian and Syrus continued talking for a long time, and when the fire started to die down, he told her to rest, he'd take the first watch and wake her in a few hours. Sian, using her bag as a pillow, fell asleep, her thoughts swirling like a maelstrom around everything she had learned about Caesar's Legion.


	10. Chapter 9 - No playing in the Wasteland

After a very uneventful night, Syrus told Sian what the Frumentarii did, and how their training looked like, all the while leading her towards Novac. For the most part Sian would listen, occasionally commenting on an infiltration technique or battle manoeuvre he was describing. Syrus had been the right choice of escort, as he and Sian got along incredibly well. Her acerbic wit and sarcasm made it increasingly hard for the young Frumentarius to keep up the aloof façade that was expected of him... 

It broke apart completely when Sian, with a wide grin, plucked a random yucca banana and chucked it at the back of his head. He spun around, and stared at her angrily for a moment. She wasn't impressed however and just laughed at him and that was when the battle-proven soldier and the skilled fighter became the children they should have been. He chased after her through the wastes, both of them laughing gleefully. She was a lot faster than Syrus had expected, it was actually challenging to keep up with the shorter girl. Neither of them noticed Eddie starting to play his battle theme. 

They had run straight into a raider camp without noticing, but recovered with practised ease. Syrus unsheathed his gladius, while Sian drew her .45 and a combat knife. They charged into battle, sure they would win. 

Syrus tried not to stray too far from the girl, having been told to protect her, after all, but even with the robotic assistance, the raiders proved unexpectedly tough. Out of the corner of his eyes, the boy saw a raider getting Sian in the side with a knife and his vision flashed red. He sprinted towards the trash who'd attacked his charge, driving the blade in his hand through the man's throat. Sian ignored her injury, thinking it not particularly dangerous, and the two of them gained the upper hand, greatly thanks to Eddie. But suddenly, Syrus collapsed next to her. The girl whipped around, blue hair flying, and raised her gun. With a wicked smile, she shot the last raider right between the eyes, splattering herself with his blood. She panted in the sudden silence, her hand pressed against the wound on her side. 

"Fuck! Syrus? Are you alright?!" 

She flew over to him and knelt beside the legionary. Rolling him onto his back, she saw that his temple was split open but he was still conscious. She looked around and saw the iconic dinosaur, Syrus had told her about. It wasn't far and they could make it. But she couldn't drag a wounded Legion soldier into the small town... 

"Okay.. Okay. Syrus, come on. We have to get you outta that skirt." 

He groaned, and struggled to sit up, his hands fumbling with the latches on his armor. Meanwhile, Sian ripped some cargos and a shirt of a raider, then helped him strip off the compromising clothes. He was able to dress himself with some assistance and Sian pulled him to his feet, slinging his arm around her shoulder, placing her own around his waist. Syrus was a few inches taller than her, and heavy, but not bulky and she was strengthened by worry. Pulling her companion along, she felt her shirt getting drenched in her own blood. Her wound was deeper than she originally thought and the pain radiated through her entire torso. 

Syrus' head felt like it had shattered apart. He could feel the blood spilling from the wound on his temple. He tried not to lean on Sian too much, surely he must be too heavy for her to support, but it became more and more difficult to simply place one foot in front of the other. Syrus desperately tried to push away the blackness on the edges of his mind, but it was no use. 

Sian's knees buckled when Syrus fell unconscious and it took every ounce of strength to not fall over. She was almost there, the goddamn lizard was right in front of her. She tried to drag him along but he was far too heavy and Sian felt her grip on him slipping, her side feeling like it was on fire from the strain. 

"Hey! We need help! Someone, get out here!" 

Two men were attracted by the racket she was making, and she felt the weight being lifted off of her. One of the men scooped her up before she could protest, and she was only semi-conscious when she was carried into a tent. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

When Sian awoke a few hours later, it was dark and she was alone in the tent with Syrus. Her ribs hurt and she felt exhausted. By some kind of bad joke from the universe, that damn raider had gotten her right on the bruise. She slipped off the cot she was laying on and staggered over to the one occupied by her companion. His wound had been stitched up, but he was very pale and he still seemed to be unconscious. Sian examined him closer and found an injection mark on his his arm. 

Aww, fuck.. Legion doesn't use chems... He'll be out for a day, at least... Got to let his team know, how to do that? 

Sian was thinking hard, trying to remember everything he'd said today. The raid camp he was supposed to return to, it wasn't too far from here he'd told her.. 

The idea struck her out of nowhere. She saw an old gas station just outside the tent, grabbed her bag and walked over, steps getting surer all the time. She'd leave Eddie to keep watch over Syrus, but Aurelio traipsed out of the tent with her. Sian grabbed a few bottles of turpentine and, after some searching, lucked out and found a lighter. Quiet as a shadow, she took the back road out of town and trekked back to the raider camp. Aurelio was jumping along beside her, the rattling of his tail reassuring in the darkness. 

It had taken a lot of strength, determination and quite some time to pile the corpses together on the road. She did her work coldly and efficiently, then sat down and grabbed paper and pen from her bag and sketched out a quick note, without greeting or signature. It only stated what had happened and where Syrus was. Sian gathered up some stones, set them in a circle in the dirt, a few feet away from the meat mountain. The Legion uniform was still where she'd left it, and she laid the folded clothing and armor into the circle. Sian fastened the folded piece of paper to the chest guard and began dousing the corpses with turpentine, making sure to soak the clothing in it. She managed to light it all up, and hoped the human bonfire would catch the attention of the other frumentarii. A quick glance at her PipBoy told Sian it was almost four in the morning. She'd been out here for nearly two hours and she felt more tired than ever before. She only wanted to get back to the tent and sleep. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Syrus should have been back by now... Even if they were dawdling, he should have been back hours ago. 

Vulpes had come back to the raid camp after his other business was concluded, just to find out, his newest recruit had apparently messed up somehow. He'd chosen the boy, because he and the mystery girl were about the same age, but clearly, he should have picked someone more experienced. He lay on his back inside his tent, his arms crossed behind head, when one of his men stuck his head in. 

"Sir. There's something you should see.. We don't really know what to make of it.." 

"I'm coming." 

Vulpes groaned and got to his feet. Whatever the hell it was, at 5 AM, it could be nothing good. He stepped out of his tent, and head towards the hill where one of his men stood with a pair of binoculars. Before he made it to the top, the head of the Frumentarii already smelt it. The wind was in his face and with it, the faintest scent of burnt flesh wafted towards him. What the hell... 

He grabbed the binoculars that were held out to him and searched the hillside near Novac. He saw the pile of burning bodies. This was no coincidence, and Vulpes knew he had to get over there. Giving his men some short orders, he went to change into his suit, knowing that he'd come dangerously close to a ranger station. When he was done, he grabbed his .44 and left for Novac. His recruit and the girl could be in trouble and Vulpes made haste, hoping that he'd be able to resolve the issue quickly. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Sian couldn't sleep, but she rested until a woman came to her, introducing herself as Dr. Strauss. 

The doctor had told her that Syrus had a bad concussion and might be out for a day or two, but would be alright in the long run. Sian herself had a rather deep gash above the waist that had been stitched up and bandaged tightly. While treating the girl, the doctor told her about the fire some ways out of town, speculating about what might have happened and Sian listened with feigned surprise. She had been asleep after all.. 

Sian asked Dr. Strauss if she knew who had helped them and was told it had been one of her own guards and one of the town's snipers. Having found and thanked the guard, Sian made her way to the motel, in order to find the other man who had helped them. She felt the need to express her relief and gratitude, however foreign that might be for her. 

Sian found the right room at the motel and knocked. Nobody opened, but a gruff voice told her to enter and the girl did so hesitantly. The room was dimly lit, empty scotch and whiskey bottles littered most surfaces and a bulky, tired looking man sat at the table, a half-eaten steak before him. 

"What do you want?" He sounded tired as well, but more.. tired of life, not lack of sleep. Sian pulled off her shades, and came a bit closer. She recognized him now, he'd been the one who carried her to the doctor's. 

"I wanted to thank you for helping me and my friend," her eyes fell on a dried bloodstain on the carpet, a bloody knife lying next to it. 

"What.. What happened here? Are you okay?" 

Sian had no idea what made her ask that. But seeing these things, as well as the evidence of the alcohol abuse... Something bad had happened here. 

To her surprise, the man did not yell at her or chuck her out. Instead, he locked eyes with her, sizing her up. He seemed to try and figure out if she was just nosy. Sian kept her gaze open, letting the compassion she felt, show upon her face. 

The man gave a long sigh, took a swig of the whiskey before him and started talking quietly. 

"You're not from here.. Maybe you can help me. Some time ago, when I was on night shift, the Legion came and took my wife. They knew when to come, knew which route to take, and they only took Carla. Someone here betrayed us." 

Sian's stomach lurched. Thank god, she had gotten Syrus out of his uniform. This could've ended very badly... 

"So, you're trying to find your wife?" 

"My wife is dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her." 

Sian said nothing. He wanted revenge, understandably so. Her face was stoney and her eyes blazed with blue fire. 

"What do you need me to do?" 

The sniper looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. He hadn't expected her to offer her help so readily, it seemed. 

"Find out who betrayed us. Nobody here will look me in the eye anymore.. Find out who did it, bring them in front of the dinosaur at night and put on my beret. I'll do the rest. I'll make it worth your while." 

Seemed like she had some Intel gathering to do.. 

"I'll get you your target. And I don't want anything for it. My name is Sian by the way. What's yours?" 

The girl smiled at him, and while the man didn't drop his scowl, he answered. 

"Name's Craig Boone. You should go now. I need some sleep. And we shouldn't talk anymore until it's done." 

Sian just nodded, took the beret from him and left the room. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Sian spent the entire day subtly questioning the citizens of Novac. She'd started out with the other sniper. Manny tried to rope her into checking out the disturbance at the old Repconn facility and she knew he'd not tell her anything if she didn't do this first. He also hadn't kept his dislike for Carla Boone a secret. There was no way in hell Sian would trek all the way over there with fresh stitches. So, instead, she opted to break into his room and look for clues. The girl found nothing pertaining to Carla, but she found a new lead on her would-be killer. When she was done here, she'd be off to Boulder City. 

She then checked on Syrus, who was still unconscious. Sian sat with him for a while. But she still had other people to question. 

A talk with Jeannie May Crawford, the innkeeper, made her skin crawl. This woman rubbed her all the wrong ways. And she had been very adamant that Carla had left in her own.. Sian had noticed the safe behind the counter immediately. She'd have herself a little midnight excursion tonight. 

Next up were the McBride's. They didn't know anything and Sian believed them. They did tell her about the dead Brahmin in the perch. The girl told them she'd check up on it if she had the chance and left them. She wandered around town, deep in thought. She had a little chat with No-Bark Noonan, who was insane, but made a good point about trustworthiness.. Sian had a general suspicion, but it still needed some fact-checking. 

She wandered around town some more, trying to make sense of all the information crammed into her head. She was heading down the street to the west, aimlessly walking. Eddie came hovering up behind her out of nowhere, because Sian was heading out of town without noticing it. Turning south, she planned to circle the town when she made contact with solid air. Startled, she tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her butt. 

She scrambled backwards, when the air shimmered and a super mutant flickered into existence. Letting out a shriek, she fumbled for her gun and Eddie already started his laser onslaught. Her scream had attracted the citizens, who came running as she planted an entire magazine into the mutant's head and torso and it fell forward, almost burying her underneath its massive body. Dusty McBride found the holotape and everyone listened as it played from Sian's PipBoy. The screams of the two headed cows kept the mutant up at night, apparently. Well, that explained the Brahmin slaughter... 

The McBride's insisted on giving Sian a reward for finishing off the mutant, while she protested it had been sheer dumb luck. This was settled by Alice shoving a small pouch of caps into her hands and simply going back home. Sian didn't have the chance to follow, because Dr. Strauss insisted on checking the girl's stitches, to see if they still held up. 

After that, Sian finally had some peace and quiet. Strauss had banned all people from the tent, and had left shortly afterwards. She really didn't believe in looking after her patients that much... 

Sian knelt next to Syrus' cot and watched him. He had gotten some color back and the unconsciousness had changed into sleep. Relieved that he was looking a lot better than this morning, Sian left the tent. She finally needed some time, alone, to think about the job she was doing for Boone. She walked south, intent on getting just outside of town where she could sit and plan her next move. The sun was only just starting to set, but the girl's eyes had darkened in her tiredness, something that she never noticed. She was deep in thought as she passed a giant boulder and nearly screamed as a hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her behind it. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Vulpes had taken as many shortcuts as he could, but it took until midday before head reached the smouldering remains. The stench didn't bother him as he examined them. This had been a group of people, nine or ten he'd say, but there were no details left to discern. He stood there a while, trying to figure out what had happened here, when an unusual rock formation caught his eye. The Fox strode over to the stone circle, immediately recognizing the clothing as Syrus' uniform. He grabbed the piece of paper attached to it and began to read. 

Got attacked by raiders. Killed them all. He got hurt, taking him to town for medical care. 

This wasn't Syrus' handwriting. It had to be the girl's. No greeting, no signature, no names. At least she was careful. He thought about his next move. He didn't want to go into town if he could help it, knowing that some ex-NCR snipers guarded it and a former ranger lived here. Vulpes decided to stick to the edge of town, hoping to catch sight of either Syrus or the girl. He did catch a glimpse of the deep blue hair that he recognized immediately. She was headed for the dingy motel and didn't return for a while. When she did come back, he watched her enter various houses and talk to all kinds of people. Had she been alone, he might have walked up to her. 

Vulpes watched her, and when she finally headed off alone, he crept around the edge of town, keeping out of sight. When he heard the girl scream, however, he nearly broke cover. The man darted around the side of a building, seeing her sitting before a huge mutant with an equally huge gun. The Frumentarius drew his .44, when the little robot, he'd only just noticed, started to attack, followed by the girl emptying her clip, killing the beast. All the commotion attracted the townspeople, of course, and Vulpes drew back, a frustrated groan escaping him. 

If I have to stand around here much longer, I don't care anymore.. I'll just march in there and drag her away if I have to. Who does this brat think she is? I have other responsibilities. I'm the greatest of the Frumentarii and I have better things to do than stand on the edge of this Mojave shithole! 

Vulpes was angry. He could've gone into town, he was almost absolutely certain that no one in that town could possibly know him. But he'd thought that once before, in an equally small town, and it had very nearly cost him his life. In a big city like Vegas, he was simply a face in the crowd, here however, every new face stood out. He was so lost in thought, he almost not noticed that the girl was walking towards his hiding spot. And she was finally alone! 

She walked past him, oblivious to her surroundings, and Vulpes wrapped a hand around her upper arm and yanked her towards him. He saw that she was about to scream and clamped a hand over her mouth, slamming her back into the boulder with more force than he'd wanted. She stared up at him, eyes wide and frightened. Dark blue, like her hair.. 

Then, her eyes narrowed in recognition and she bit down on his hand, hard enough to draw blood. He swallowed a curse and fought the urge to slap her across the face. He pulled his hand away from her mouth, but kept a firm grip on her arm and standing too close for her to move away. 

"What the fuck happened? Where is Syrus?" Vulpes hissed at the girl menacingly. It was only then that he noticed the bloodstain that was forming on her shirt. Apparently, Syrus hadn't been the only one to get hurt.. 

The girl ignored it though. Vulpes could tell that she was afraid of him, he saw it in her eyes, but she hid it extremely well. 

"I'm not sure what happened exactly, I didn't see, but I think he got a rifle smashed to his head. The doctor said he has a bad concussion, but he'll be fine. But she gave him a stimpack and some MedX and he's been out of it all day." She sounded apologetic and Vulpes growled. He had hoped the boy would be awake, but if they drugged him, it might take another day. 

"Why did you let them? He must've told you that the Legion doesn't allow chems?" She got angry at this. He could feel her bristle against him, her temper flaring quickly. 

"I hardly even remember being carried to the doctor after he collapsed onto me! So sorry that I fell unconscious before giving her a rundown on Legion medical practices! Shall I write it on my forehead next time?!" Sian was getting louder all the time, her anger getting the better of her. 

"Be quiet, you stupid woman. How did this even happen? I sent him with you to answer your questions, not for you to nearly get him killed. What did you do?" Vulpes spat the words at her with venom. It had to have been her fault. 

Sian stiffened. She had distracted Syrus, and her guilt served to make her more furious. And right now, she had a wonderful target for her anger. The beast inside her reared its ugly head and pushed her fear to the back of her mind. 

"What did I do? I killed the one who hurt him. I made the head of that raider filth explode. That's what I did. I had his back, as he had mine." 

"Then why, pray tell, is he wounded and poisoned. Not a very good job on your part, wouldn't you say?" His voice was dangerously low, but Sian ignored all the warning signs. She had done what she could. It wasn't her fault that she had been hurt as well and no longer capable of overseeing Syrus' medical treatment. But it is your fault, said the little voice at the back of her head. 

His derisive sneer fuelled her rage and her free hand snapped back as she slapped him with incredible speed. Vulpes was shocked for a split second, before he felt a blinding fury course through him. He grabbed a fistful of her long hair and pulled her head back viciously, his body pinning hers against the rock. His gaze was feral and his long fingers clawed into her hair didn't allow her to look away. 

"Wrong move, you little profligate whore." His voice was deadly now. Sian realized she'd made a big mistake, all the anger leaving her in an instant. She hardly understood why she'd hit him. What demon possessed her to actually slap him across the face? 

Images flooded Vulpes' mind, flashes of what he could do to her. He could beat her right here, drag her back to the camp and have her whipped, keep her and make her pay for the disrespect she'd shown. His grip on her arm and hair was painfully tight and he felt a sick pleasure in knowing that she'd have a hand shaped bruise on her arm tomorrow. Time had eased itself to a standstill as he stared into her eyes. They were the darkest blue now, and were torn open with genuine fear. He felt her chest heave, and that she tried desperately to reign in her panic. 

And seeing that fear, Vulpes realized he wouldn't be able to do anything he had thought about. He didn't release her, though. What was it about her, that made him so utterly docile? He revelled in the fear of others, hers made him feel wrong, somehow. Vulpes noticed a wet patch on his stomach and looked down, seeing her blood soaking his suit. Whatever wound she had, had been reopened by him. He untangled his hand from her hair and stepped back. The girl immediately relaxed, even though his hand was still on her arm. The grip had lightened, however. 

He started guiding her into town, under the cover of darkness. He spoke to her, but didn't look at her any longer. 

"I'm taking the boy with me now. It's too dangerous to leave him here." 

They entered the tent together, and he released the girl, stepping toward his young recruit. Sian went over to her cot, pulled on her jacket and the shawl, holstered her weapons and pulled on her bag. She felt his stare on her as she grabbed Aurelio and placed him in her bag gently. She turned to him, meeting his gaze. 

"I need to do one last thing here, it will take maybe half an hour. Wait that long, then get Syrus out of here. The doctor won't show up, so you needn't worry. I'll have the sniper distracted and you can slip away unnoticed." 

She grabbed some gauze and medical tape and then head out of the tent. Before she stepped into the night, she said in a soft voice. 

"Tell Syrus, I'm very sorry. And that I look forward to meeting him again, his honesty was much appreciated." 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Sian slipped into the Dino-Dee-Lite front desk and quickly set to work on the safe. She pushed all her thoughts of the night away and focused on the lock, and it snapped open very soon. She grabbed the money and the caps, stuffing them in her bag and grabbed a folded piece of paper. It was a bill of sale... 

Jeannie May, you goddamn bitch.. You're going down! 

Sian swiftly walked over to Crawford's house and shook her awake. In an urgent, panicky voice, the girl told her to come follow her to the Dinky statue. And she did, without protest. Leading the woman out of town, Sian saw Syrus being carried out of the tent by his boss and quickened her pace, Eddie hovering alongside her. She positioned herself in front of the dinosaur and slipped the beret onto her head when her target appeared. A gunshot rang through the still night and Jeannie May's head exploded in a fountain of blood and brain matter. Sian motioned for Boone to come down. She wanted to leave tonight. And she planned on taking the sniper with her before he drank himself to death in this shithole. 

 

Vulpes adjusted the boy on his shoulder and looked back toward the bridge. He could see the girl standing there, looking small and fragile in the distance, her hair and skin shining in the moonlight. She slipped something onto her head as the other woman appeared and he was startled by the sudden gunshot. The older woman's head exploded from the sniper round and the girl appeared unfazed; she had known this was going to happen. Moments later he saw a tall, bulky figure approach the girl and she laid a hand on the new man's arm. He shrugged and Vulpes heard soft laughter drift through the night. His stomach clenched at the sound.


	11. Chapter 10 - Two-Faced

Sian had convinced Boone to come with her, feeling a strange urge to help him become well again. Not understanding why she did, nor what to say to him, the girl kept silent. She didn't think the burly sniper much of a talker anyway. He kept an eye on their surroundings, while she focused on walking. Sian was extremely tired but she told herself it was nothing, wanting to get some distance between herself and the town of Novac. 

Her new companion was dead useful too. Boone dispatched some raiders that she hadn't even noticed and Sian had to admit, she probably needed to lie down. 

"How much further to that damn trading post?" 

Boone noticed how weary she sounded. For the first time since they had left town, he really looked at her. Even in the darkness he could see how pale she was and he grabbed her arm, turning the girl around to look at her other side. The shirt she was wearing had turned crimson on her left side and the sniper suppressed a groan. Stubborn little shit, she was, ignoring a wound that looked to be pretty painful. 

"It's not that far.. You gonna make it there?" He was contemplating if he should just scoop her up again, like he'd done before, her steps haven gotten a bit sluggish. 

Sian read his intentions in his voice and gave a dark chuckle. 

"Don't even think about, soldier boy. You got yourself a walking corpse here, I can deal with a cut." 

Boone's interest woke. They'd continued walking and he knew it would be maybe half an hour before they reached their destination. He looked down at the girl beside him. 

"What do you mean? Why a walking corpse?" 

"Because I was shot in the head and buried. I survived on a fluke. I guess I'm lucky, but it did mess up my brain a bit. I remember my name, I found out how old I am, but that's it. I'm not crazy though, so don't worry." She grinned at him. Sian had accepted that her memories were gone and might never come back. She didn't like it, but she had no other choice than to accept it. 

Boone looked disbelieving. This kid didn't look like she deserved to be killed. He knew, of course, that no one was innocent, but looking at her, one could be fooled into thinking that she was. 

"You know who did it? And why?" 

Sian sighed. It was late and she was tired, but if they kept on traveling together, she'd have to tell him sooner or later anyway. At least it distracted her from the pain. 

"I was a courier and whatever I carried was apparently valuable enough to shoot me. The delivery receipt said it was a poker chip. And I know the guy who shot me is called Benny and wears the most hideous suit I've ever seen. I found out that he was headed for Boulder City, so that's where I'm going." 

Her voice had gotten cold and Boone decided to save any other questions for another time. They were almost at the 188 anyway. Walking up the hill in silence, he ordered her to sit down at the wooden table and got some vodka and edibles from the man running the food joint. 

He set the meat down on the table and knelt beside Sian to examine the wound. She turned on her PipBoy light so he could see and gave no protest. She was too beat up to argue and it did hurt. Instead, she unpacked the gauze and tape and set it on the table. 

"What the hell did you do? The stitches loosened. When you're hurt, you're 'sposed to take it easy." 

Sian flinched when Boone started to wipe off the blood with an alcohol soaked piece of gauze. 

"Son of a.. Gimme a heads up next time, will you. And I literally ran into a super mutant. Didn't have the choice to take it easy." 

Boone was doing his best to close up the wound and get it bandaged. Meanwhile, Sian noticed a woman in mud-brown robes who was watching the two of them. The blue haired girl cocked an eyebrow. 

"Is there something on my face?" 

The woman threw her a smile and came a few steps closer. 

"Except from a look of pain and annoyance? No, not really." 

Sian laughed a bit. Boone finished bandaging her and sat down as well, digging into the food on the table. Sian motioned for the woman to join them and picked at the meat. 

"So.. What's your name then?" 

"I'm Veronica. And who are you two?" 

"I'm Sian. And my charming and chatty friend over here is Craig Boone." 

The sniper threw an unamused glare at her and Sian hid a smile. The two women chatted a while and, asking the right questions, Sian found out that Veronica was a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, a scribe to be exact. The girl knew that this faction was obsessed with pre-war tech and were a very closed society. When Veronica mentioned that she wanted to see how different groups in the wasteland functioned, Sian invited her to come along. 

"We're headed for Boulder City. I'm not sure where we'll be going next, but you're welcome to tag along if you like." 

A wide smile crept over the scribe's face. 

"I'd like that. Travelling alone is so boring. Well, thanks for taking a chance on a naive young girl from California with stars in her eyes and a pneumatic gauntlet on her hand." 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Sian had sunk into an exhausted sleep, Veronica lay down as well, but Boone stayed awake, sitting in the tent and keeping guard. He was used to going incredible periods of time without sleep and thought it better to keep an eye on his new partner. 

The night passed quickly, and the only eventful thing was when Boone kept himself from shooting the nighstalker that crawled from Sian's bag. It was an instinctual reflex, but when the little canine rolled himself up against the girl's stomach and yawned, the man figured it might be a pet. Sian was definitely strange enough to keep a dangerous, poisonous creature as pet.. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

By mid-morning the next day Sian was ready to pull out her hair. Veronica was really nice and all, but she asked so many questions! And not just random things. After the scribe had found out about her eventful days in Novac, she started asking how she'd been wounded and when Sian accidentally mentioned Syrus, calling him her friend, Boone decided he had to become involved. 

"What about that boy who was with you? Did you just leave him there?" 

"No, of course not. His brother caught up to us and decided to take him home." The lie spilled from her lips with astounding ease. Not like she had a choice, really. If she revealed that Syrus was a legion spy, Boone would probably bludgeon her to death with this rifle. Veronica might be more open-minded but that was a conversation for when they had some alone time. 

Boone narrowed his eyes at her. His shades kept her from determining if he was suspicious or simply thinking. He decided to drop it though and Sian stifled a relieved sigh. She deflected any more questions as they drew closer to the ruins of Boulder City. Her heart beat faster with every step she took. Walking into the destroyed city, Sian quickly found Lieutenant Monroe when he tried to send her on her way. 

"I appreciate that you have a situation here, lieutenant, but there's no chance in hell that I'm leaving. Those khans have something that belongs to me." 

"When they've been killed or captured, you can reclaim your stolen property. I have a hostage situation here and no time to deal with your problems." 

Sian pinched the bridge of her nose. The NCR was really ineffective. 

"Tell me, lieutenant, what are your soldiers worth to you? Is getting them back alive worth letting the Khans' walk? If yes, I'll get them to stand down. What do you say?" 

"Know what? Try your luck. I'm not supposed to let a civilian handle this, but I'm honestly past caring at this point. Promise them what you have to. There has been enough bloodshed between us, I don't need to add to it." 

Boone interjected himself into the conversation. 

"Just shoot them. They took soldiers hostage, why waste any time on talking?" 

Sian cocked her head sideways. Retired, but a grunt at heart. Lovely... 

"And that is why you're staying out here. Apart from that damn chip, I want answers. And people tend to not answer when they're dead.." 

The burly man stepped closer to her. Sian's sarcastic tone riled him up and practically growled at the girl. 

"You're still hurt. The Khans will probably shoot on sight! You're not going there without backup!" 

"Oy! The powerfist ain't just for show, I actually know how to use it!" 

Veronica had watched them with an amused smile, but now cried out in indignation. Neither Boone nor Sian responded, they simply continued glaring at each other. Sian pushed her shades into her hair, her bright blue eyes shining coldly. She drew herself up to stand as straight and tall as possible, which wasn't very impressive as she was still over a foot shorter than him, but her aura was extremely powerful. 

"Fine. I will do all the talking. You will not shoot anybody. If you do, if I don't find out what I want to know because of you, I promise, you will regret it." 

It was a clear threat that sounded more like an order and the unexpected authority in her voice left no room for argument. Sian started off into the ruins, not looking back to see if the other two would follow. 

She walked past the Khans who were sitting in the ruined part of the city, never stopping and simply not acknowledging them at all. Nobody shot at them, though Boone caught quite a few nasty glares. It didn't take particularly long to find who she was looking for. Walking into a house, Sian's cold eyes locked on to the man who'd watched her get shot. 

"Hello honey. Remember me? We have some unfinished business, I believe.." 

Jessup stumbled back, staring at the girl before him with disbelief plain on his face. 

"You're that courier girl Benny wasted outside of Goodsprings. You should be dead!" 

Sian smiled at him. There was absolutely nothing friendly or reassuring about that smile. It was like the grin of a nightstalker before it charged. Jessup couldn't suppress a shiver of fear running through him and Sian, noticing it with her sharp gaze, widened her smile even more. The girl bathed in the fear of the man before her. Suddenly it was only him and her, no one else was in the room. Sian took a step closer and Jessup felt his back press against the wall. He had nowhere to go and Sian took another step, murder shining in her eyes. 

"Perhaps we'll try it again? Only this time it'll be you on your knees, looking down the barrel of my gun." 

Boone and Veronica looked at the young girl in shocked amazement. Neither had expected her to be capable of this hardness and cruelty and yet it rolled off her in waves. Veronica was sure that one wrong move on the Khan's part, hell even an unsatisfactory answer, would get him killed in a most painful way. Boone tensed up to conceal how he felt. If it had been him on the other side of that bloodthirsty leer... He couldn't blame the Khan, he'd be intimidated as well. The sniper tensed up when a unpleasant thought crept into his mind. Sian's harshness reminded Boone of himself. He shoved the unpleasant thought away. This girl might be an able fighter, she might be capable of killing, but she was still a kid. She had to be bluffing, surely she was a lot more innocent, more naive than she made herself out to be. She had to be.. 

"Why did you and your little boyfriend jump me?" 

Jessup's eyes flicked all over the room, looking for an escape. He was twitchy and his hand inched to his gun. The movement didn't look deliberate, more like his hand just jerked toward it out of habit. 

But before he ever even got anywhere close to his weapon, Sian leapt onto the counter, her .45 pointed directly between his frightened eyes. The girl moved with breathtaking speed but her movements looked carefully measured. A feral little growl escaped her, and the grin slid off her face. Her expression became impassive, steel blue eyes alight with cruel fire. 

"You have exactly thirty seconds to explain to me why you and that slick jumped me," her voice took on a threatening timbre. "You get an extra ten to convince me why I shouldn't kill you." 

The words spilled from Jessup's mouth without hesitation. He didn't doubt for one second that she wouldn't shoot him. Her arm didn't tremble and her finger was wrapped around the trigger. And he would, were he in her position. 

"Listen, we're just hired guns. This guy, Benny, he tells us he needs a job done and he's offering a fair amount of caps. So we went. It was just a job, I swear I don't even know why he wanted that package or what was even in it. We need to eat too! We needed caps! I'm sorry, okay? It wasn't planned. We was 'sposed to jump you, take the package and leave. But you put up one hell of a fight and that snake got the creeps, said he had to deal with you so you wouldn't come after him." 

Sian allowed the slick smile to creep back onto her face. Her posture relaxed a bit but her gun didn't lower an inch. She wasn't gonna shoot him, but it didn't hurt to let him continue to think that. 

"Seems like his plan didn't work out all that well, cause I'm still here. Where is he? I can't spot any trace of that hideous rag he insists on wearing.." 

Seeing that the forty seconds were up and he was still alive, Jessup relaxed a bit. He didn't make the mistake of counting his blessings just yet. The girl was composed, her blue hair framing her face and the look she gave him was slightly amused but still as cold as ice. She could snap at any second. 

"The little weasel probably ran all the way to Vegas. He ditched us, still owes us half the caps. We wanted to follow, but the goddamn NCR got in the way." 

Boone twitched a bit at the last part, but Sian relaxed even further and slipped off the counter. She didn't holster her gun but she held it at her side now, rather than still aiming at him. They were simple mercenaries, not worth killing. And he had told her everything he knew, Sian was sure of that. 

"Well then.. We should figure out how to get you guys out of here. Any plans?" 

Sian was leaning against the counter, arms crossed and gun still in hand. 

"The NCR lets us leave or we shoot the hostages. Simple as that." 

Again, Boone twitched. Sian felt the movement behind her, but for now she said nothing. She maintained eye contact with Jessup. The girl had a feeling the NCR would shoot, regardless of the hostages. Sian decided to help the Khans, not because she felt the need to save lives, but because they would owe her. Or at least think she gave a damn about them and help her out when she was in a pinch. 

"You know that's not gonna work... I'll talk to the lieutenant. If you release the hostages, I'll make sure they let you walk. Deal?" 

Jessup watched her closely, looking for a hint of deception in her face and finding none. He would be taking a big risk, letting the two soldiers go. They were his leverage and the girl who offered to help him, was the one he'd left in a shallow grave in the desert. But staring intently into her bright blue orbs, Jessup realized he didn't have many options. At least not many that would keep him and his alive. Breathing deep, he took a leap of faith. 

"Deal." 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

"What the hell do you mean, top brass wants you to eliminate the Khans? You told me I could promise them their freedom. You said, you didn't want to add to the bloodshed!" 

Sian was livid. There was no way she'd go back on her deal with Jessup. It was dishonourable. Lieutenant Monroe looked torn. 

"I can't go against a direct order.. Or can I?" 

The young girl watched him with disdain and the lieutenant cringed. Her voice cut him like glass when she responded. 

"If you have any honour, any integrity, you let them go free. The Khans' held up their end of the deal, let me escort your privates out. They will leave." 

Sian once again spoke with a finality that was unexpected even to herself. It came out without any thought whatsoever and felt so normal, she didn't bother to question it. It seemed to work and that's all she needed to know. The beast she had felt inside her before was contentedly purring, enjoying the situation. Veronica and Boone watched the rather one sided verbal onslaught with very different feelings. The scribe was impressed at Sian shaming an NCR officer into submission. She did feel some unease at the sight of the girl though. It was like Sian had two totally different people living inside of her, one easygoing and childlike, the other hardened, cruel and jaded. An unsettling thought... 

Boone on the other hand, looked like he wanted to step in any second. Sian was being incredibly disrespectful to an officer and it was something he hated to see. The kid had no business questioning the chain of command. He wanted to shake her, tell her to watch her smart mouth, but he physically couldn't move. Her voice was so hard edged, it kept him frozen in place. 

"I.. Yes. You're right, of course. I gave my word, they can leave." 

The lieutenant rubbed his hand over his face. But he felt relieved. The order to execute the Khans had bothered him greatly. It was time to make amends, not add to the hate between the factions. And it had taken a child to get his spine back. How shameful... 

Sian's entire demeanour changed when he acquiesced to her.. well, her orders. She smiled in a relieved, grateful way. The stern, unyielding woman disappeared and the friendly girl remained. 

"You're doing the right thing, lieutenant. If nothing else, you kept your integrity. There's precious little of that left in the wasteland." 

The girl's voice, which had been so harsh and stinging before, was a silky purr now. The voice of the devil could not have been sweeter. It was amazing, how she could make anyone feel like the greatest and smallest person if the world. Veronica figured that this was probably the most dangerous feat of Sian's. A person who could make others feel exactly what she wanted them to feel, think exactly what she wanted them to think, was certainly an inconceivable enemy. Or an incredible ally... 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Boone had mentioned that both Hoover Dam and Camp Golf were close by but Sian shot down any and all detours. She had talked to Jessup before he left and her resolve was stronger than ever. The Khan had given her an opulent golden lighter with the request that she shove it straight up Benny's ass. She'd consider it, but the lighter was actually pretty nice... 

They pressed north, sights set on Vegas. But they had to concede, they wouldn't make it that night. Sian spotted an abandoned shack and the little group made camp, the lights of Vegas illuminating the wastes around them. Neither Veronica nor Boone seemed to know the first thing about food, so when Boone came back with a molerat after a short hunting trip, Sian prepared dinner while the others watched her. After they'd eaten the surprisingly tender meat, Sian made a quick tour of the shack and found some whiskey and cigarettes, nothing spectacular, but welcome nonetheless. They sat around the fire, taking sips of the whiskey and Sian and Boone both having a smoke. Veronica took the opportunity of resuming her questioning of the other girl while they were all relaxed and calm. 

"So, Sian... Where did you learn to act like that?" 

Sian looked perplexed. She tried to figure out what the hell Veronica was going on about. 

"What do you mean, act?" 

"You know. This whole hard-ass thing you had going on with Monroe. And how you intimidated that Khan. Where did you learn to do that?" 

Boone perked up. He'd wanted to ask the same thing, but he never knew how to voice these topics. Now he listened intently and watched the blue haired girl with furrowed brow. She seemed honestly confused. 

"I don't know what you mean, Vero. I just did it. It seemed like the right thing to do. And it worked so.." 

"Yeah but it had to come from somewhere. You were so sweet all the time, all smiles, and then suddenly you get all hellfire-angry. I won't lie, you really freaked me out for a second there. It was like you were a totally different person. Kinda like Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Psycho." 

Boone took the opening and spoke before Sian had a chance to respond. 

"It really was weird. You sounded a bit like my old C.O. And I heard of Monroe. He's said to be a strict guy, and still, you talked him down." 

Sian sighed. It was just a sudden impulse, every word she had spoken and her tone of voice had been completely instinctual. She proceeded to explain her situation to Veronica and how there was no way she could remember anything. Veronica had to fight down the urge to hug the younger girl, feeling it would not be appreciated. She decided to keep away from the topic for a while. The underlying fury in Sian's voice was unnerving, but she understood the anger at the head of the chairmen. The scribe announced she would accompany the other two to Vegas, where she planned to introduce Benny's face to her powerfist. Sian choked on smoke when she laughed hard. She allowed the feral grin to slip back on her face. 

"Not a chance, Vero. He's mine. And it will hurt..." 

And even though that cruel girl was shining through again, the three people around the fire laughed and joked. 

Sian offered to take the first watch and practically had to force Boone to go inside the shack and lie down. The fire had died, only a few embers remaining and Sian sat in front of the little wooden hut, her rifle leaning against her and eased a second cigarette from the pack. Her thoughts ran wild in her head. She honestly didn't know where she had learned to be so authoritative, nor if the weird pleasure at inflicting pain and fear had always been a part of her. Sian wondered if this beast, that sometimes clawed at her to be released, was friend or foe.. She could not rely on experience for anything, so she'd have to learn to trust her instincts. But would they serve her well? Or would they lead her astray?


	12. Chapter 11 - Knowledge is Power, is it not?

The trip to Vegas had taken a few hours and the small group had to fend of hordes of Geckos, who seemed to think that the three travellers would make a perfect lunch. Sian was having the time of her life, not even reaching for her gun once, much to Boone's dismay. Veronica joined right in, slamming the Geckos away with her Power Fist. They were making a contest out of, laughing like hyenas.   
Boone kept an eye on the girls, sniping anything that got to close to them, but they still got to disembowel a few lizards. The critters thinned out as the group neared Vegas and Sian had something new to occupy herself with. 

 

Sian stepped through the gates of Freeside, looking around in wonder. Vegas was nothing like the wasteland towns she'd seen. The girl felt a strong desire to run around town and inspect every nook and cranny of it, wanting to know exactly what there was to be seen. Boone had other plans though.   
The sniper grabbed Sian's arm and dragged her to a place he called the “Old Mormon Fort”. She struggled a bit, hissing because Boone latched on to her fresh bruise, but his grip was vice-like. Veronica trailed behind them with Eddie hovering alongside her. 

Once inside the Fort, the group was sent to a tent in the back where Boone pushed Sian into a chair rather roughly. The girl pouted up at him, attempting to make him feel bad at manhandling her, but, no dice. 

 

Brick wall would show more compassion... 

 

After a short wait, during which Sian wondered how she'd best escape this, she and Boone looked toward the tent entrance, hearing footsteps approaching. 

A tall blonde man stepped in and looked like he'd really rather be elsewhere. 

 

“Good morning. I'm Dr. Gannon and because of some cosmic joke, I'm the one who's going to treat you now. What's the problem?” 

 

“Good morning Dr. Gannon. I'm Sian and there is no problem. I was dragged here against my will. Sorry to waste your time, I'll be go--” 

She had made to stand up, but Boone's hand clamped onto her shoulder, forcing her back down. Sian was hoping for a second try, but his hand stayed were it was. 

 

“She's got some stitches on her side that came loose. Fixed it as best I could, but I'd like a doctor to check it.” 

 

The blonde doctor sighed a bit. 

“Alright. Jacket off, shirt up. Let's see if you're gonna die from infection or if you live to get some more injuries.” 

 

Sian started pulling her leather jacket off, her movements a bit stiff. She threw it to Veronica and pulled up the shirt to expose the bandages. There were a few spots where blood had started to seep through again. With a glare to Boone, the girl turned so the doctor could inspect her wound. He sank onto one knee beside her and pulled off the bandages without much care. 

 

“Could you at least try to not make this hurt? If you don't wanna treat me, fine, don't.” 

 

The doctor flinched back a bit and looked guilty all of a sudden. 

 

“Sorry, I'm just not used to dealing with patients. I'm a researcher, but we're having a busy day and no one else was available. I'll be more careful.” 

And he was. He worked off the rest of the bandages with gentle fingers and examined the stitches, prodding at the wound carefully. 

 

“So, tell me how this disaster happened. Looks like a cut over a bruise. And it's gotten a bit infected... How often did this open up after it was stitched?” 

 

“Uhm.. I dunno.. Twice, I think. It doesn't really hurt that much. Just when I move wrong. And it doesn't feel infected. It's not warm or anything...” 

 

The man looked up at her with a surprised expression. He gestured for her to lie on the cot and collected some medical supplies. He came back to her and started removing the old, stretched stitches. Boone kept back, but Veronica sat down near Sian's head and held Aurelio on her lap. Arcade started speaking again as soon as he started cleaning the wound with disinfectant. 

 

“So you know some basic medicine, eh? You'd have felt the infection in a day or two. Some dirt got in, it seems. But we got it right in the beginning, so it shouldn't give you any problems. I'm just gonna clean it, stitch it up again and then you have to take it easy for a day or two. Tell me what happened.” 

 

And so, Sian once again recounted the story of how she'd gotten punched around in Primm and cut up near Novac. Dr. Gannon's mouth was pressed to a thin line, and the girl figured it might vanish soon. When she started telling him how the stitches had loosened when she'd happened upon the mutant, he looked like he'd might drink the disinfectant. The only part she glossed over, was the unexpected meeting with the Frumentarius. Instead, she insisted she had tripped over a rock. The doctor injected a stimpack into her wound and began stitching the skin together. Veronica and Sian started to ask him about his research and both girls were fascinated when he told them about the alternative medicine that he was looking for. He didn't seem too happy about it though, and when Sian asked him why, he gave her a sad, little smile. 

 

"I'm enthusiastic about helping people, but nihil novi sub sole.” 

 

Sian just smiled in response, and answered him without thinking. She had almost exclusively spoken to Syrus in English, but the doctor's dialect was familiar, as were the words. 

 

“Verba vera.. But still, it's a noble goal. One worth pursuing.” 

 

Boone, Veronica and Gannon all stared at her and Sian froze for a split second. In this incredibly short time, her mind shouted every profanity known to man at her. 

Fucking stimpacks! Always make me woozy and stupid! Goddamn it, save this somehow! 

 

Before she could get out a word, the doctor nearly gushed at her. 

 

“You have no idea how long it has been since I did not need to translate that! You're a Follower, too, aren't you? Where were y--” 

 

Before Sian had time to react to this perfect excuse that had been served to her on a silver platter, Boone exploded. He strode over to the cot and hoisted her up by the arm. He looked absolutely livid. 

 

“Where the fuck did you learn Latin?! You're no Follower! I saw you fight, so don't even try it! Who taught you?!” 

 

Sian tried to shake off his hand, but his grip tightened even further. He was beyond pissed and she was getting there quickly. How dare he touch me like this? 

“Who the fuck do you think you are? Let go of me! You know perfectly well that I don't remember anything! The simple fact that I know another language does not make me a fucking villain!” 

 

Both Boone and Sian had incredible tempers and as they clashed the air seemed to cackle with electricity. Arcade Gannon stared at them in disbelief. The burly soldier had seemed so protective of the girl before. The doctor saw that the man's knuckles had gone white and he snapped out of his daze immediately. 

 

“Hey! She's injured, let go of h--” 

 

“Stay out of this!” 

 

Arcade recoiled as they both snarled the exact same phrase at him. The force of their combined anger was palpable as they stared at each other. 

 

“Why didn't you say something before?” Boone growled threateningly. “Only reason you wouldn't tell, is that you want to hide it! Why would you hide it, if you aren't just a Legion bitch?!” 

 

His last words hung between them like a blade and the air was thick with tension. Veronica looked between them both, amazed at how quickly they had clashed. Arcade was currently debating whether or not he should try to step in again. 

Sian narrowed her eyes at the man before her, her anger rising even further than she thought possible. Freeing her arm with a swift jerk, she took a step back. With the same swiftness she had portrayed in Boulder City, her right arm drew back and she landed a hard punch to the man's stomach. It was an angry, uncontrolled motion and Boone nearly doubled over. The blow had knocked the breath out of him, because he had not seen it coming at all, but he straightened out again, doing his best to hide how painful that was. 

 

“Leave. Now. Before I say or do something I might regret.” 

 

Boone stared at her for a few seconds, green eyes meeting blue. Sian held the stare without difficulty. Seconds felt like hours and with a last growl, the burly man turned on his heel and stalked out of the tent. 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

 

It had taken nearly two days for Syrus to wash the poison out of his system and wake up. Vulpes had drilled his men to not reveal anything about Syrus' absence and involuntary drug use to anyone back at the Fort. It would only serve to the boy's disadvantage. 

Vulpes had to get back, Caesar was expecting him, but since the Frumentarii operated entirely independent from the Legion's main force, he could always stretch assignments. 

 

He had put the boy in his own tent, so he'd be alone and able to rest. Vulpes went to check on his young recruit and found that he'd finally awoken. Syrus looked dazed and seemed to have a hard time focusing on him. When he finally recognized his superior officer, the boy struggled to reach his feet. 

Vulpes strode over and pushed him back down. 

 

“Keep still, boy. It won't help anyone if you fall over and hit your head again. Do you remember what happened?” 

 

The young Frumentarius pushed himself into a sitting position, cradling his head in his hands. He felt sore all over and had a throbbing headache. Images flashed through his mind, in no particular order. They seemed sharper than reality, all vivid colours and hard edges. 

That girl, laughing with him over the campfire. 

Her pained face when she'd been injured. 

The carnage of Nipton. 

Big, blue eyes hovering above his face. 

A raider reading his death in Syrus' eyes. 

 

“I remember raiders... They got the jump on us, but she.. she was incredible..” Syrus couldn't suppress a little smile when he remembered the fight. 

“Honestly, she's so fast. And strong, even if she's small. A good fighter.” 

 

Vulpes cocked and eyebrow at his recruit. Seemed like the girl had left quite the impression on Syrus. It was understandable, he guessed. She was definitely intriguing. He still kept his voice a bored drawl, though. 

 

“I was referring to how you got your injury. You got attacked by raiders. Then what happened?” 

 

Syrus stifled a groan and tried to focus. 

 

“I'm not sure. She got stabbed, I remember that. Afterwards things start to kind of blend together. I killed the one who attacked her, and some others. And then, something crashed into my head. After that, it's a blank..” 

 

Vulpes had feared as much. The boy had a concussion, some memory loss was to be expected. He still had some questions for the boy though. Syrus had accompanied her for a reason after all. 

 

“What do you remember about the girl? What did she want to know? What's her name?” 

 

Syrus stared off into space for a minute, trying to recall their conversation from that night. When had that been anyway? How long had he been out? Forcing himself to concentrate again, he realized something. He'd forgotten the girl's name... 

 

“I don't know her name. I'm sure she told me, but I can't remember.” He eyed the older man carefully, but when he just gave a non-committal wave, Syrus continued. 

“She asked about the Legion's ideals. Our goals, our culture and traditions. But she already heard about some of our horror stories.” 

 

“Yes, I'd expect as much. The usual slaving rapists propaganda?” He spoke with a mocking sneer. 

“What did you tell her about the views on women?” 

 

“I told her the truth. She's smart, she would've seen through every lie, anyway. I told her that we don't think any less of women, but that most legionaries still do. She wasn't impressed, but she didn't seem that surprised.” 

 

Vulpes said nothing. He'd gotten a similar impression of the girl. He'd have to think about if she was worth pursuing in the future. He had had to cut some women loose and needed new ones. New faces always kept the information flowing. 

 

“Sir, if I may..” Vulpes snapped out of his thoughts and motioned for his recruit to continue. 

“I believe she'd be useful to us. She's clever, quick on her feet and pretty intimidating if she wants to be. I think she'd be the kind of girl who can get to the high ranking officers, not only collect pillow talk from grunts. It's something about her eyes, I think. They look so bright and innocent.” 

 

Syrus had done his best to not sound too timid. He had only been a Frumentarius for a few months and didn't feel confident in voicing suggestions yet. But he truly believed the girl was worthy of consideration, so he pushed aside all fear of being reprimanded and spoke on her behalf as best he could. 

 

Vulpes, again, kept silent. The girl did seem predestined for their line of work. Unafraid of bloodshed, intelligent, a tad too confident perhaps, however he was certain he could scare her enough that she'd do what he said. But she had left with the Sniper and that dog was NCR. He'd need time to think about this. And talk to her once more. If there was any chance she'd side with the NCR, she'd have to be dealt with. 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

 

“Well that was uncomfortable...” Arcade fidgeted a bit, not really sure what to do now. Sian still seemed to be in another place in her anger. But suddenly, it was like a switch was flipped. Her posture relaxed and she turned to face him, smiling. 

 

“Thank you for the treatment, doctor. How much do I owe you?” 

 

She was already routing around her bag for her caps. That was when Arcade noticed the dark blue, hand shaped bruise on her right arm. Boone had grabbed her left though. 

 

“Uhmm.. Does.. Does this kinda thing happen on a regular basis?” 

 

“Nah, we've only known each other for a few days. And I don't think he explodes that often, more of a closed person, you know?” 

 

“Mhmm..” Arcade studied her with a raised brow. Either she was a great actor, or she really didn't understand what he wanted to know. He couldn't just ask her outright, could he? 

Veronica inadvertently saved him when she voiced his question, laughing a bit at Sian's obliviousness. 

 

“He wants to know where the other bruise came from, you twit.” 

 

Sian glanced at both her arms. On the left was a red imprint from Boone's shovel-hand, which would probably start turning blue by tonight. On the right, the bruise was already present. It looked different, a lot slimmer than the new one. 

 

Wonderful.. Now I have two butts to kick. Did I used to let people push me around so much? No. Definitely not. This stops now. But what do I tell them? The head of Caesar's spy division got a little frisky? 

 

She let out an annoyed sigh. Telling the truth was, once again, out of question. Sian had no problem lying. It's not like these people were her best friends after all. She'd just have to remember to keep her stories straight. Slipping up could be detrimental to her health and nobody needed that. She looked at the other two and shrugged. 

 

“When my friend Sy and me got attacked by raiders, he pulled me behind him. I guess it's from that. It's not a big deal, bruises happen.” 

 

Sian paid for her treatment and she and Veronica stayed a bit, chatting with Arcade. They talked about the research, about the work the Followers did in Freeside and about the city in general. The girl found Arcade's sarcasm refreshing, but after talking a while, found him to be rather idealistic. She wasn't sure how an idealist could possibly survive the wasteland.. 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

 

Boone was seething, his stomach hurt, as did his ego, and he needed some whiskey. Now. He made his way over to the Atomic Wrangler, where the booze was cheap and no one bothered an angry man. 

He found a table in the shadows and ordered a bottle. The burning in his throat helped calm him somewhat. He wasn't sure why he had exploded like that, or why he felt so betrayed, he hardly knew the girl after all. 

 

Maybe because I trusted her. I told her about Carla and she might be Legion. Could she really be Legion? 

 

Boone was confused. As he steadily emptied the whiskey bottle, he tried to determine if it could be possible. The Legion kept women as slaves, they were nothing more than breeding stock and punching bags to those animals. And even if she was Legion, an escaped slave maybe, there was no way that they would waste an education on a slave. But Boone was from California and knew the Followers of the Apocalypse. They weren't known for their fighting prowess. The guards, yes, but they didn't shut themselves in the libraries. It was nearly impossible that she was a Follower. But she couldn't really be Legion, either... 

 

Who the hell was this girl? And why did he even care? She was just some kid. 

But his mind drifted back to when he'd first seen the girl. 

He'd heard her calling for help, and she sounded so young, he had to go check. When he and one of Strauss' guards came bolting out of town, his eyes had fixed on her immediately. 

 

She had been bleeding heavily, her whole body trembling under the strain of holding her friend upright. The guard had picked the unconscious boy off of her and he'd grabbed the swaying girl before she could hit the ground. Her eyes never left his face as he had carried her to the medic's tent, but she seemed to be staring right through him. 

Boone had set the girl down on the cot and examined her while Strauss looked after the unconscious boy. 

She was small, fragile even, but one could see she was muscled instead of weak. Must've been hell of an injury though. The dark blue hair contrasted sharply with her almost translucent skin and she had dark shadows under her eyes. 

 

Boone suddenly looked toward the door on a hunch, and there she was. She had come alone and spotted him right away. 

Sian walked toward the sniper, completely ignoring anyone around her. Her eyes were on him alone and Boone was not sure what he read in them. 

She still looked angry, but there was more hidden in the blue. 

The girl sat down across from him and grabbed his whiskey, drinking what little was left in the bottle and showing no reaction to the burning. She was glaring daggers at him, but when she spoke, her voice was soft. 

 

“I know how this looks. And that's also why I didn't tell you. I know, why you hate the Legion. It's justified. But you have to understand, I do not remember anything. I don't know, how I know what I know.” 

 

Sian had waved one of the servers for another bottle and two glasses. When they arrived, she poured the amber liquid and slid a glass toward him. Her eyes were boring into him, willing him to understand. 

 

“Boone, whatever I was before, that girl is dead. Her skills resurface at times, but she is gone. I have to re-evaluate everything. Every faction I meet, needs to be examined. And... And I need help. But I need people around me who are not blinded by hate. I'm not impressed by what I've seen from NCR up until now. They are ineffective, they're stretched far too thin and the soldiers are terrified of their enemy.” 

 

Boone thought on this. He desperately wanted to contradict. It was not the first time he'd heard these things about the Republic and he'd shot everyone who said it down. But her voice was alluring, it seemed to float around his mind just like the whiskey did. And if he were honest, she did have a point.   
Boone physically shook that last thought from him. 

The second bottle of whiskey was half empty by now and his mind was starting to enter this calm, fuzzy state he always craved. Sian looked a bit dazed. She was still very young, he thought, and she was small. This was probably the largest amount of liquor she'd ever had and he saw that she fought to keep her focus.   
Did it really matter where she had learned some damn language? Or who she might have been? 

Boone didn't know her very well, but snipers' tended to trust their guts. 

He had seen her react to other people and had noticed that she held herself to high standards. She believed in honour and integrity, she had helped him without second thought and she had come to find him after he had stormed off. Boone heaved a sigh. 

 

“Sorry for lashing out at you like that. I shouldn't have. Especially not when you're still hurt. I forgot that you forgot... “ 

Boone was never much of a talker. He wished he were right now. He wanted to convince Sian that the NCR was better than she thought. He wanted to tell her that his hatred for the Legion stemmed from what they stood for, that he'd hated them long before he met Carla. But he couldn't. He didn't know how. So instead he opted to show her. 

 

“Come to Camp McCarran with me. My old unit's there, speak to them. They'll show you a different side of the Republic. You wanna learn about the NCR, they'll teach you. Deal?” 

 

Sian smiled sweetly at him and finished off her whiskey. She didn't believe that anyone could change her mind by just talking, but of course, she'd go. Maybe they'd surprise her. 

 

“Deal. But I'm warning you,” Her smile widened, but her voice took a steely quality. “If you ever call me a bitch again, we're having problems.” 

 

There was nothing more to be said. He understood her standpoint, she agreed to learn about his. The two shared another bottle of whiskey, Boone having the lion's share. Still, Sian was drunk. 

Around three in the morning, the girl had fallen asleep on the table. Boone shook his head, telling Garrett he'd need a room and carried Sian upstairs. In the room, he carefully pulled her jacket off and lay her on the bed. She didn't even stir, her breaths soft and even. 

Boone lay down on the bed as well, keeping his distance from the young girl. He turned to examine her though. He saw the bruises on both of her arms and felt a surge of anger. At himself, and at whoever was responsible for the other one. 

Boone vowed to never lay a hand on her again. He had never lost it with a woman, never touched one in anger. He felt terrible for having crossed that line, even if he didn't actually strike her. 

 

Sian started whimpering, which caught his attention immediately and he propped himself up on one elbow. Her face was scrunched up in emotion, pain and fear. Boone didn't know what to do. It was clear that she was having a nightmare. Should he wake her? Or just ignore it?   
When a tear slipped from her closed eyes, he didn't think any more. He reached over and pulled her towards him. The girl didn't wake up and she didn't start crying, but she clutched at him like she was drowning and kept on with her pitiful whimpers. He just lay there, her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her until the gut-wrenching sounds ceased. This kid needed someone to look out for her, and while he'd never actively seek that role, it fell on him now. After tonight, he wouldn't turn away.


	13. Chapter 12 - Problem Solvers

**CRACK!** The grip of Sian's .45 connected with the side of the greaser's head. 

“Goddammit, Pacer! Stay down!” Sian was beyond angry.

“Stay here! I'll talk to them and if you so much as move, I will shoot you, you fucking idiot!”

Boone was currently covering her back, rifle in hands, but kept low. He didn't want to have to shoot at NCR soldiers. Veronica was clenching and unclenching her powerfist and keeping a close eye on the blue haired girl. Sian was completely unafraid as she walked towards Major Kieran, hands raised and gun holstered. The Major ordered her men to stand down and watched the girl coming toward her. 

The sniper still had his rifle at the ready, but made no move to shoot. 

As Sian made her way over, her thoughts flew back to the events leading up to this disaster.

**_After Sian had woken up, annoyed and with a headache, her and Boone had went to get Veronica, so the three could make their way to the Strip gate. Sian planned to just waltz through, but when she saw some Freeside lout tried the same thing and get obliterated by the robotic guards..._ **

**_Not worth it._ **

**_And so, the small group faffed about Freeside, trying to figure out where to get  a Strip pass. They were told to go see the King and the old Greaser and Sian hit it off immediately. The King's dog took an instant liking to the girl as well and sat beside her, resting his head on her thigh._ **

**_The King agreed to help her get a Strip pass if she helped him first._**    
 ** _Sian found that reasonable and so, she began to investigate the tensions between Freeside citizens and the settlers from the NCR. It wasn't all that hard._**    
 ** _Pissed-off people like to tell their side of the story and after a talk with Julie, they had an in with Major Kieran._**    
 ** _The Major was giving out food to NCR citizens in Freeside, while the Kings controlled the water supply._**    
 ** _Everyone was suspicious of everyone, and apparently the NCR wasn't interested in negotiating._**    
 ** _And then Sian talked to Pacer. He claimed to have everything under control, but she was sceptical and investigated his involvement in the whole mess._**

**_When she found out on what big scale Pacer had fucked up the situation in Freeside, Sian had to physically restrain herself from murdering him on sight._ **

**_One man was responsible for the problems, all the hunger and the hostility between the citizens of Freeside and settlers from the NCR. Even now he was still cocky about it._ **

“Major Kieran, the King sent me to negotiate with you. He'd like to reach terms to which you both can agree on and find a way to help Freeside.”

The Major gave a derisive snort.

“Yes, I've seen how he negotiates. Our messenger almost died!”

“The King never knew about your messenger, he never reached him. Please, Major, you have the same goals. He wants to meet with you and I'm sure you'll figure out a way to work together.”

Sian spoke softly, with a humility that she would have never displayed under normal circumstances. But by acting demure, the Major could save face and still do what Sian wanted her to do. But the girl's jaw was clenched. She hated feeling like a subordinate.

Kieran's face softened and barked some orders over her shoulder. She turned to face the girl again.

“Tell the King I will be by in a few days. I have to talk to my superiors first and see how much leeway they give me. But if what you told me is true, I guess we'll come to some kind of agreement.”

Sian did just that. When she and her companions had gotten back to the King's school and informed him that the situation was resolved, the head Greaser had been glad and grateful. He'd roughly ordered a disgruntled Pacer to get the top-shelf scotch and bourbon and invited the three young people to celebrate this happy outcome. The King was in a good mood and with him, that meant getting drunk off his ass. He poured his guests a gracious measure and toasted them happily.

This time, Boone tried to keep an eye on how much Sian drank, not wanting a repeat episode of this morning. He grinned when he recalled how the startled girl had jerked away from him so violently that she feel out of bed. 

Sian asked the King about Rex and the older man looked almost distraught when told her that the dog was sick. When the blue haired girl heard that even the Followers couldn't help the pooch, she got sad. Rex was curled up at her feet, Aurelio snoozing on top of him. Screw it. Benny would have to wait..

“If you'd like, I'll take Rex for a walk to the Followers tomorrow. There's a researcher there who might know something. Or see if Julie thought of something since you've been there.”

The King lit a cigarette, offered them around the table and lit it for Sian when she took one. He filled his and her glass again and focused on her.

“Yeah, maybe you'll have more luck than me, I was pretty angry when I went down there. I vaguely recall something about upending a few tables, maybe knocking out one of her doctors. Probably shouldn't show my face there for a while.”

Veronica let out a drunken giggle and the King grinned ruefully and filled up everyone's glasses once more. Sian was starting to enjoy the fuzzy warmth that spread through her.

Sian smiled at him, genuinely, and reached down to scratch Rex's ears. The dog gave a low whine and leaned into her touch. 

“That's settled then. We're gonna fix you, Rexxy. We'll find a way.”

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

They had slept at the King's school and when the three of them had gotten up, Sian picked up Rex and they left for the Old Mormon Fort. Arcade couldn't help them, he was so caught up in his research he hardly even responded to questions. 

Julie told them about a Dr. Henry living in Jacobstown who might be able to help. She discussed the options with Sian and both women concluded that Rex might need a new brain. Veronica decided to stay behind with Arcade to find out more about his medical research, and Boone and Sian head north. 

Once outside the city, Aurelio was let out of his mistress' bag and he ran wild with Rex. Sian watched the two of them happily. Whenever Rex tensed because his brain gave him trouble, the little nighstalker would rub his head against that of his new friend, howling softly. It would make a rock melt.

She wondered where they might find a brain for the cyberdog. She had gotten a jar and preservation fluid from Julie, but she had to procure the organ herself.

They had walked half the day and almost reached the mountain ridge. Just as they wanted to turn west. Aurelio let out a fearsome hiss and barged southward.

“Get back here, you dumb mutant!”

Sian barged after her pet, Rex hot on her heels. Boone let out a string of curses before he  too, pursued his companion. Sian had quite the head start though and she was a lot faster than Boone. After a few minutes of solid sprinting, the girl got close enough to grab her pet. She was about to yell at Aurelio when a snarling, scraggly ball of fur came flying at her, intent on taking her head off.

Reacting completely on instinct, the petite girl pulled her combat knife and thrust her arm forward. And by some kind of miracle, the blade stabbed through the feral beast's chest and it crumpled to the ground mid-jump. She must have pierced the heart with her random strike. Seeing it was really only a dog, Sian knelt down. It gave a few pitiful whines and Sian stroked the matted fur. Moments later, the dog was dead. The girl still stroked the mangy animal a few times, a sad expression on her face.

Boone had caught up with her when she'd killed the animal and watched her.

_She kills without second thought. People.. Those_ _freakin_ _Geckos.. She pistol-whipped that greaser without any hesitation. She can be so scary, and yet, she looks like a little girl who lost her pet... Comforting to know, that she can be so innocent._

Boone's reflections came to an abrupt halt when Sian once again pulled her knife.

Aurelio had been whining at her and butting his small head against the dog's and she intuitively knew what the little mutant wanted to tell her.

This was a brain for Rex.

“Boone! Get over here and prepare the jar, please. Lady luck favours us today.”

As she started to cut away the fur and tissue to get to the coveted organ, Boone started pouring the foul-smelling fluid into the jar, mumbling something that sounded like 'so much for innocence..'

After the grisly work was done, Sian and Boone once again headed for Mt. Charleston, followed closely by the two canines.

The sun just started to set when they arrived on the peak of the mountain and Sian's childlike side resurfaced at the sight of snow. She ran to it, dropping to her knees and dug her hands through the cold whiteness, eyes torn open in wonder. 

She was so distracted, she never heard the heavy footsteps.

“It's been a long time since I have seen someone so mesmerized by snow.”

Sian spun around and scrambled backwards at the sight of the super mutant, remembering her last encounter with one in Novac. 

Boone had reached for his rifle, but didn't shoot. This mutant was capable of coherent speech and didn't seem hostile. If it took one more step towards the girl, he would shoot though.

The greenish mutant raised his enormous hands to show he wasn't going to attack, and Sian's tense muscles loosened. She stood in one fluid motion, without the use of her hands. 

“We're looking for Dr. Henry. Does he live here?”

“He does. Welcome to Jacobstown, human. As long as you aren't hostile, you have nothing to fear. The doctor is inside the resort, through the main entrance and then right. Don't stare at the nightkin and you should be fine. I'm Marcus, by the way. I'm the mayor of Jacobstown.”   
   
Sian smiled and stuck out her hand on a whim.

“My name's Sian. Don't worry, we know how to behave.”

The mutant, Marcus, stared at her outstretched hand for a second, then carefully wrapped his own around it to shake.

Sian's small, thin hand nearly disappeared in Marcus', and his grasp was firm, but gentle.

The look on his face was disbelieving, but it changed to a surprised, genuine smile.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As soon as he'd stepped foot inside the Fort, Vulpes was notified that Caesar wished to see him. He told his men they could do what they wanted for now, but to come to his tent that evening. Being summoned could only mean a new assignment.

He quickly dropped his bag at his tent, washed dust and sand off his face and made his way over to Caesar's tent. He stepped through the flap unhindered, and found Caesar sitting at the table, speaking with Lucius.

“Ah, Vulpes. Come, join us. Your mission in Nipton was a success, I hope?”

“Of course, my lord. Nipton was as big as Searchlight, but more.. personal.”

Vulpes let a proud smirk creep over his face. His cruelty had made him one of the most feared and powerful men in the Legion and the normal footsoldiers spoke of his ascension through the ranks in awe. But it wasn't his talents alone that had secured his success in the Legion.

The Frumentarius bit the inside of his cheek to pull himself from old memories and sat down at the table, waiting to be addressed by Caesar. 

But he had to wait. Caesar spoke to Lucius about the new Praetorians, about the situation at the Fort, a broken Howitzer and Vulpes tuned out. His body stayed immobile, but his steely blue eyes roamed around the tent. He noticed a certain book on a desk and the memories he'd tried to push away before, flooded his brain at full force.

**_“ 'If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.' Tell me, do you think this accurate? Can you imagine a situation where you could apply this?”_ **

**_The bright blue eyes of the man rested on him and Vulpes was thinking hard. He'd finished reading 'The Prince' the day before and Joshua wanted to know if he understood the book. There were many simple situations where this would apply, but he knew that an easy answer would not be accepted. Hesitantly, the eight year old began to speak._ **

**_“If I were in a struggle for power with other men... I'd try to discredit them where I can, and severely. Or injure them badly, aiming to cripple them perhaps.”_**    
 ** _His face was scrunched up in concentration. Vulpes was not yet used to his lessons and always had to choose his words carefully. He tried to copy Joshua's manner of speech._**

**_“If I discredit someone, I would damage his reputation beyond repair. Maybe procure proof that he went against the teachings of Mars, accuse him of crimes against the Empire. If I have to actually injure someone, I would cripple their body... and their mind?”_ **

**_He eyed the man sitting across from him carefully._**   ** _But his mentor seemed pleased with him._**

**_“Very good, boy. And would you do it secretly?”_ **

**_“Yes and no. I would let my victims know it was me, but I'd make sure that there is no evidence against me. To show my enemies that I am capable of destroying them and they can't do anything to stop it!”_ **

**_The boy had become louder as he talked, childish excitement shining in his eyes. Joshua had laughed at him._ **

**_“It's never that easy, boy. But you have a good head on your shoulders. You'll deal with any opponent you're faced with, I'm more than certain.”_ **

**_“Get back here, you little runt!”_**    
 ** _Vulpes and Joshua were momentarily distracted by a Praetorian thundering down the hall of the Caesarian Palace in Flagstaff. He was chasing after a black haired child and Joshua furrowed his brow at the ruckus._**

**_He tapped the table to get his young student's attention again and they continued their lesson._ **

“Vulpes? Vulpes?! Are you sleeping with your eyes open? Pay attention!” 

He very nearly flinched when Caesar's voice cut through his thoughts. But the Fox composed himself quickly, cramming the memory far back in his mind.

“My apologies, Lord Caesar. It has been a long day. What do you need me for?”

The Legion's leader grumbled a bit, and took a long swig from the goblet sitting in front of him.

“I need to speak with you about your men. I have given you an assignment. You delegated it, which is fine, but your Frumentarii seem incapable of carrying out their orders.”

Vulpes face went cold. He knew what assignment Caesar was talking about. There was only one that had failed time and time again. He sent a silent prayer to the gods', hoping he was mistaken. He did not want to have to deal with this now.

“I'm speaking about Utah. This situation needs to be dealt with, and I want it done quickly. You will take some of your men and accompany them. Maybe they'll achieve better results when the threat of punishment is imminent.”

“But, Lord Caesar, I'm sure I'm needed here. My men always do their best, no matter if I'm there or not.”  _Please, don't make me go there. I can't be the one to do it..._

“You will assign one of your men to handle the day-to-day business. I want you to travel with your men and meet with the White Legs. They face an opponent far more capable than themselves and are in need of instruction. Who better than my most dangerous strategist?” He cut the younger man off with an impatient gesture when he tried to object.

“This was not a request, Inculta. Get the map. I want to discuss the route you'll take and the details of your assignment.”

Vulpes' jaw clenched together tightly as he did what he was told. He knew arguing was pointless. Caesar's word was law and Vulpes had no choice but to obey.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Doctor Henry was working on replacing Rex's brain, having commented in the high concentration of turbo in it, and Sian decided to go marvel at the snow some more. Boone watched her with quiet amusement. 

When they walked around the town, Marcus came running up to them.

“I could use your help, human. There's some mercenaries outside town. They seem to want to provoke us into attacking them. Maybe you can get them to stand down without bloodshed.”

“Why would they want you to attack them? Why wouldn't they make the first move?”

“I can only guess, but I would assume they're NCR. They want to provoke us so that they can attack without being the aggressor.”

Boone stepped forward, looking angry.

“And why do they have to be NCR? Many people are afraid of mutants.”

Marcus looked down at the sniper, something akin to pity on his face. 

“I could be wrong. But the NCR has done this before. Maybe you'll find out what's behind this.”

Sian could see that Boone wanted to retort again, so she stepped in. She had a feeling that Marcus could be right. She saw the men from afar and took in their high-class armour and weapons. Looked very expensive for a couple of mercenaries...

She ordered Aurelio to stay within the city and turned to Marcus.

“We'll go check it out for you. Come on, Boone.”

Sian laid her hand on her .45, but kept it holstered as she strolled towards the man standing on the road. Boone had his rifle out again and followed behind her.

As soon as the girl came within speaking distance, the man addressed her.

“Our business is with the muties, not you.”

Boone noticed how Sian's entire demeanour changed at the dismissive tone. Her back straightened out and she looked regal, with her head held high and her chin jutted out.

Her voice was like steel again.

“Not anymore. As of now, your business is with me. What do you want from Jacobstown?”

“Just doing what I'm paid to do – harass the muties until they attack us or leave. If they leave, we let 'em go. If they attack us, we wipe 'em out.” the merc shrugged. 

“Either way, our job's not done until the town's cleared out.”

_Very forthcoming with information... Now let's see if he keeps that up._

“Who is paying you? And what exactly are you being paid for?”

The leader of the mercenaries seemed less willing to divulge this information. But Sian's stare was relentless. The girl said nothing, just maintained eye contact. This was a battle of wills and she was being unusually patient. His eyes flicked toward Boone, the beret on his head, the rifle in his hand and then back to Sian.

Finally he let out a huff and spoke, his tone a lot less dismissive now.

“Won't name names, but some important folks in the NCR are sick of muties attacking their Brahmin herds. They want them gone from NCR territory. Maybe this group had something to do with attacking Brahmin, maybe not. Doesn't matter. We're getting paid to make them go away.”

_Knew it,_ she thought with a grimace,  _sorry, Boone, I was right. Freaking NCR, ineffective as all fuck, not even supplying their soldiers with satisfactory weapons, but paying mercenaries to start a_   _mini-war with mutants..._

“Now, unless I'm mistaken, Mt. Charleston is in Nevada. This is not NCR territory. I do not care what Brahmin big shots paid you to be here, the citizens of Jacobstown will no longer be harassed by the likes of you.”

“I've faced down a charging Deathclaw and didn't blink. What makes you think I'd back down from you?”

The man apparently tried to regain some of his bravado, but Sian didn't buy it. She held his gaze, her eyes once again a luminescent blue. Her smile took on a sadistic streak as she stepped closer. Boone had moved toward her when the mood had changed and saw the transformation out of the corner of his eyes. 

“I can tell you exactly what makes me think that. It's rather simple. You will turn around and leave. If you don't, I will take out your men. And then, when only you are left, we will have some fun. I will shatter your kneecaps, your elbows, maybe your ankles and wrists as well. Then I will personally drag you down this mountain. We've passed a cazadore nest on our way here. And the poison burns, believe me. I will leave you, just close enough that they'll notice you after a while. Cazadore's prefer their meals dead, so they will only sting you, then leave you for later. And while the poison starts to kick in, and you become delirious and unable to move, I will be watching and I will enjoy your screams. You'll be begging for death for hours before the neurotoxin really starts working and you suffocate. Now, I'm asking you nicely, and I'll only do that once. Will you leave?”

The mercenary stared down at the girl. She was standing right in front of him and to make true on her threat, she'd have to take out his men in seconds. She had a rifle, but it was on her back. Her hand was still on her gun though, and she had an elite sniper with her. 

Would she be actually able to do the things she had described? 

The look in her eyes certainly suggested so.

“I've always known when to fight and when to back down, and it seems to me that I ought to back down this time. My men and I are leaving. You won't see us around here again.”

He turned and left, not quite running but definitely faster than walking. Sian watched him jog away with a nasty little smirk. His men followed after him, and only when they turned the corner, did she allow herself to relax, the smirk on her face turning into a happy little smile.

“Geez, this was fun.. I ought to threaten people more often.”

She and Boone started walking back towards the small town and he threw a sideways glance at her.

“You're fucking terrifying sometimes, you know that? Creative, but scary..” He looked down and sighed.

“So, Marcus was right. They were NCR. Damn.. Why would they do this?”

Sian's eyes darkened. It must be sucky to see the system you supported do things like that. Sian only felt strengthened in her doubt toward the NCR.

“I don't know what to tell you. A friend told me that the Republic is a corrupt hive of bureaucrats and politicians. Here, we have some Brahmin farmers sending hitmen over the border to harass and assault citizens of Nevada. I know you're NCR all the way, but this was disgusting. And it wasn't right. The mutants here don't hurt anyone. And they could've killed the mercs' easily, but they didn't. They just wanna live in peace.”

Boone listened to her and sighed again. It was frustrating, but she was right.

“Let's not talk about this now..”

Sian relented. She'd address the topic again at another time. 

The two companions went to tell Marcus that they would be left in peace now and went to check on Rex. 

It took two more hours, but the dog was finally awake and well again. He jumped at Sian, nearly knocking her to the ground and barked happily, tail wagging. The girl was glad. Rexxy was fine and they could finally get out of this quaint, weird place.

Marcus invited them to stay the night, But Sian and Boone decided to walk through the night. They both wanted to leave this place as quick as possible.

The blue haired girl promised Marcus that she'd visit when she found the time again and the small group made for Vegas, the canines chasing each other all the way.


	14. Chapter 13 - Whisky Confessions

The small group of three people had left the Fort before sunrise. Vulpes wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, but it was over 200 miles to Zion. He would be walking, at least for a week, through deserts, mountains, woods and hard-to-traverse ridges, areas infested with Profligates, Deathclaws and Yao Guais, all in the company of two men he didn't particularly like. He felt like he deserved pity from someone.   
They were dressed in simple leather combat armour, so as not to draw attention to themselves when they passed by Boulder City and later, Bitter Springs.

Vulpes was thinking back to the discussion in Caesar's tent the evening before.    
He was to take two Frumentarii of his choice and lead them to Utah, and on the way there, make very clear what would await them for failure. He himself was to meet with the war-chief of the Whitelegs and instruct them on how to crush their opponents, then head back to the Mojave. Secretly, he was grateful that the task of assassinating Graham was not his. The young man would not have known how. He could do it, and probably even succeed, but this wasn't a matter of skills, but of willingness. And no matter that Graham had lead the Legion to their defeat at Hoover Dam, he still had taught Vulpes much of what he knew today. As protégé of the Legate, it had been clear from the beginning that the young boy would become one of the leaders of the Legion. Even with his ruthlessness, the Fox thought it dishonourable, even downright sickening to even consider killing the man who made him.

   
Which is why he had chosen these two particular Frumentarii to accompany him to Utah. They weren't his best men, nor did he like them.   
The smaller one, Crassus, was carrying a heavy bag on his back, containing Vulpes' armour. The man was such a terrible suck-up, the leader of the Frumentarii never even had to order him to lug the heavy garments across the desert. And while the respect, and often times fear, of his men stroked his ego, brown-nosing was disgusting and, quite frankly, pathetic to watch. 

The other, Lucanus, was just as bad but in a different way. He had his eye on the leadership position and made no secret of it. But he had neither the dedication, nor the intelligence or cunning to achieve it. Lucanus did have an annoying habit of challenging his every decision though. That annoying trait made him perfect for this mission.   
The old leader of Caesar's spies would have never allowed these men to keep their positions, but Vulpes ran things differently.

Having nothing better to do as they passed through Boulder City, he thought about his rise through the ranks.    
After he had recovered from his near-crucifixion, Caesar had made him a Frumentarius because of Vulpes' tactical knowledge and general cunning. His superior officer at that time had been Tacitus, a quiet man, very soft-spoken. Vulpes had never figured out if the older man had enjoyed torturing or not. He'd been incredibly efficient, but he never did seem to utilize the skill that much. But Vulpes had learned a lot from him. The young man's natural cruel streak and his ability to see even the most gruesome missions through, quickly made him a favourite of Tacitus'. He was often favoured with assignments.

Vulpes' thoughts drifted to the disastrous mission that had lead to him becoming head of the Frumentarii.   
A year ago, Tacitus had chosen him to accompany the older man on a mission to California. They had been tasked with stealing important Intel on NCR presence at the Dam and in the Mojave in general. After three months of deep cover in enemy territory, Vulpes found and assassinated a man of General Oliver's security detail, finding out guard changes and codewords before he allowed his victim to die.    
Inside, he was overjoyed, but on the outside he maintained the facade that was expected of him. And that's when things started to go horribly wrong...

Vulpes made it back to their hideout-flat, bursting with pride at his accomplishment and when he turned the last corner, had flattened himself against the wall. Tacitus was being led out of the building by armed troopers and the Fox's first instinct was to rush in, with his crappy 9MM, and shoot every single profligate in sight.

**_Never compromise your cover. Never, under any circumstances whatsoever, sacrifice your mission._ **

Tacitus had drilled this into his head from the very first day. Peeping around the corner, he saw that there were too many opponents for him to handle. He bit back a curse as he watched his superior officer be led away. Tacitus' hands were bound, but he was standing tall and Vulpes saw the small cut on his throat. The profligates had gotten him before he could end his own life. For now, he had no choice but to slip away. He'd get the stupid folder with Intel himself and then, by rights, he should head back to the base camp in the Mojave.

“Sir, we're approaching Bitter Springs. Ranger Station Bravo is close by.”   
   
Vulpes snapped back to reality when Lucanus spoke to him. He hadn't realized how far they had walked already. It wasn't noticeable yet, but evening was descending on the Mojave. He squinted to the west.  _A few more hours until it's dark enough..._

“Thank you for that keen observation, Lucanus,” Vulpes couldn't help snarking at the man, “Find a sheltered spot. We will wait for the cover of darkness.”

When his men acquiesced, the Fox bared his teeth in a predatory grin. The night would enshroud them from the Rangers, but not the critters. 

“We will have to be on the lookout for Deathclaws and Cazadors, so stay vigilant. You're of no use to me dead.”

The grin turned smug when his men paled.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian and Boone walked through the night and didn't talk much. While they were still traipsing down the mountain, Boone told the girl what to avoid when travelling at night.   
Some things, like how far voices travel at night,seemed weird to her, but she decided to trust him on it. The sniper also showed her how to hold a cigarette so the red glow wouldn't give you away and how to field-strip them when you were done.   
Sian didn't smoke much, certainly not as much as him, but it was good to know.    
About an hour later, Boone commented on her strange walk, which Sian found very confusing. But he insisted she walked differently than him.    
   
“See, I step on my heel first, but you, you kinda step on you sole first. I noticed it on the way here, but I didn't see what it was until now. Looks uncomfortable.”

Sian looked at her feet as she walked a few steps. He was right, but it definitely wasn't uncomfortable. She tried mimicking his heavy steps, firmly planting the heel of her boot to the ground. It felt unnatural and after a few steps it began to hurt all the way up to her spine. The girl suddenly felt uneasy and noticed with a start, she was hearing her own footsteps. Well, this just wouldn't do.

“Walking like you do is uncomfortable. I think I'll just keep my weird walk, thank you very much. It's quieter than yours anyway.”

“Yeah, you like sneaking up on people, I noticed..”   
   
Sian didn't answer, just smiled impishly, and they continued walking. Not much of interest happened until they passed the same destroyed caravan they'd seen before.   
Sian experienced a fleeting moment of panic when a huge Cazador shot out behind it.    
Rex charged at the monstrosity and sank his fangs into its body, just as two gunshots rang through the night. Boone's .308 lodged firmly into the Cazador's right wing joint while Sian's bullet veered off course and just blew a hole through the left wing. But the mutant couldn't fly away any longer and Rex tore it apart.    
They walked faster after that. Sian was tired and her side was hurting again, and Boone had gone too long on too little sleep as well. Both just wanted to make it back to Vegas so they could finally rest.    
The sun was starting to creep over the Mojave when they reached the Freeside gates. Sian grabbed Aurelio and placed him in her messenger bag again. She wondered what to do with the small nighstalker when he didn't fit in her bag any more. But she didn't dwell on it. She was tired, Boone was tired, even the damn dog was tired. When they had finally made it back, they found the first unoccupied room at the King's school, Rex ran off to find the King, and Boone and Sian just crashed onto the bed, both of them dead to the world immediately.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**THUMP**

“Get up, sleepyheads! Get up! Get up! Get up!”

Sian awoke with a start, disorientated and still half-asleep, to find Veronica bouncing around on the bed. She pushed herself up, but the other girl's elbow landed between her shoulder blades and she gave up, flopping back on her stomach.   
Boone wasn't having it though. After a particularly violent jump, he caught the scribe around the waist and tossed her off the bed.    
Veronica landed on the floor with a thud, giving an indignant little yelp and a much deeper laugh sounded from the door.   
Sian pushed herself up once again and squinted in that general direction, bleary-eyed, and saw the King laughing at them. Rex was at his side and Sian figured why the older man was in such a good mood. She gave him a goofy grin and climbed over Boone, her movements still somewhat uncoordinated, then flopped to the ground to sit beside Veronica.   
Rex came bounding over, showering her with affection and some very slobbery kisses.    
   
“Morning Blue, saw y'fixed up my old Rexxie. Wanted to come say thank-you but y'were in a different world entirely.” He smiled down at the girl, who scratching Rex just where his organic ear began. “Rexxie here likes ya a lot. Been whining in front o'that door for hours.”

Sian had her arms full of excited cyberdog and she felt happy. Seeing him roll around on her lap gave her the same feeling she had when she was playing with Aurelio.    
It was a sense of security and a vague feeling of deja-vu. The girl didn't even care when Rex's wet tongue licked across her face again. She was just happy that he was happy.

But then her thoughts started to wander back to the mercenaries at Jacobstown. 

She had meant every word she said to the man, and she knew she was capable of doing it. But now, with Rex laying in her lap and Aurelio coming to join the fun, she felt disgusted. Not at the fact that she could've done it, but that she had wanted the merc to fight so she could torture him.    
She maintained a friendly conversation with the King while she grabbed her stuff, placed Aurelio back in her bag, and he told her to visit Mick and Ralph's for the Strip passes.   
Sian managed to convince Boone and Veronica that she'd be fine on her own, although the sniper only relented when the King told her to take Rex along. Insisted the dog didn't get enough exercise.   
The girl threw him a grateful smile, she knew he was just saying that to get Boone of her case. Quickly, before he could find another reason to not let her wander off on her own, Sian left the school and head west toward Mick and Ralph's.    
At the store, she told Ralph that the King had sent her and ordered three passes for Strip.

“Three passes, King's discount.. Eh, let's say 600 and we're good.”

Sian dug through her bag. She had those caps. After random finds and small payments she'd received, the girl had about 1400 caps. But she purposefully pulled out the smaller pouch. Looking at Ralph with wide eyes, she didn't even have to think about what to say or what tone to use, it came naturally.

“The King said I'd be able to pay for them. I only have 400 caps. Could you.. could you make an exception? Just this once, please?”

Ralph stared up at the girl. He was a business man through and through, but there was something about her. That pretty face gazing down at him, his thoughts wandered a bit.    
But seeing Rex quickly shook him out of it. Girl had the King's favour, meant she was off limits. The dark-haired man heaved a sigh.

“Fine. Gimme the 400 and come pick up the passes tomorrow.” Ralph tried to grumble, but when she smiled and thanked him profusely, he just couldn't. He smiled right back.   
   
Sian wandered around Freeside and thought about the mercenaries again. She tried to shove these thoughts away, but they wouldn't leave her alone. She needed to talk to someone. But who? Boone was out of the question, she didn't know Veronica all that well and Sian didn't know who else to ask. But when she looked up, she saw the Mormon Fort.   
Arcade was a doctor and doctors talked to people when they had problems, right? Would she be able to talk to a stranger? She didn't even know what to say to him.    
 _I enjoyed imaging horrific torture, am I insane? Doesn't sound so good, does it?_

She wandered throughout the Fort and found the blonde doctor in one of the tents at the back. The girl stepped through the opening soundlessly and addressed him in a soft voice.

“Hey, Arcade.. You have some time to spare? I could really use someone to talk to right now..”

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Boone dragged himself out of bed shortly after Sian left. His rifle needed some repairs and he might as well get them out of the way soon. He noticed Veronica was still sitting on the floor. He couldn't just leave, could he?

“Hey. I'm gonna head to the Gun Runners. Wanna come?”

“Sure! Never bought anything from them before but I heard their inventory is amazing.”   


Veronica jumped to her feet, and trailed after him, leaving him alone as they walked out of Freeside. She and Boone hadn't talked that much yet, but she was looking forward to it. He tried to be all stone-cold all the time, Veronica wasn't buying it however. There was compassion underneath the rock-hard exterior, she had seen it the day they met when he'd looked after Sian's wound. He had been so careful without even noticing it.   
And the girl? She was definitely something else. Maybe Sian would be able to help her with this problem she'd been pondering over. But she would need to find the right time to discuss the problem.    
But now was not the time to think about it. They were not far from the Vendor's shack now and Boone was already going through his pockets for caps.    
Veronica looked down at the metal contraption encasing her hand.

_Could use a few new chromed tubes.. Can hardly see mine under all the rust. Let's go shopping!_

Boone let Veronica talk to the Vendortron first and checked the weapons laid out behind him. He just wanted an extended magazine for his hunting rifle but it never hurt to see what the best weapon suppliers in the Mojave had available. That was when he saw it.   
A beautiful, sleek rifle, with an unusually long barrel and a fine wooden veneer covering the grip. The little cardboard sign next to it said it was an Anti-material rifle and that it cost over 5,000 caps...    
 _Something to save up for. I'm_ getting  _that rifle._

Veronica bought her modifications and when Boone didn't step up to make his purchase, she threw a glance and caught him staring at a rifle like it was a piece of meat.    
She raised her brows and cleared her throat, getting his attention quickly.    
Boone flinched and Veronica started laughing when he actually blushed the slightest bit. The man growled as he pushed past her and bought a modification kit to extend his magazine capacity.   
The walked back and sat down near the gates of Freeside and started to work on their respective projects in silence for a while.    
   
“So, Boone... What made you team up with Sian? You two don't seem like a natural fit..”

“Just happened,” Boone grunted out the answer, not wanting to discuss this in detail, but Veronica gazed at him expectantly. “She helped me out with something. And I couldn't let her leave on her own. She was hurt, would've probably been eaten by a Gecko or something..”

Veronica smiled. Of course he tried to play it off. But he cared, it was plain as day. Maybe he'd speak more openly someday. But today was not it. The scribe was done with her modifications and saw that Boone was having some trouble attaching the new magazine. He probably knew what he was doing but she still leaned over. He still needed to file away some of the edges and Veronica saw why he had trouble with it right away.

“Here, let me. My hands are smaller than yours, I can get it done quicker.”   
   
Boone handed her his rifle and watched her work, a lot faster than he had been. After he was satisfied that she actually knew what she was doing, he laid back in the burnt grass, his head resting on his interlocked hands.    
A couple of days ago, he had just been a retired 1st Recon sniper, whose wife had been abducted and who had been doing his damnedest to drink himself to death.   
And then, this blue-haired game-changer had walked into town. Well, dragged herself and her friend.    


 _Why did I even follow her? She helped me, but I offered to pay and be done with it. Maybe because she didn't question it? Because she didn't accept the caps?_    
 _No, that's not it and you know it. You followed her because she gave a damn, because she bothered you to find out what happened. You followed her because she was nice to you and looked like she needed help. Because letting her go off on her own, would've been an absolute dick-move. Now, you're stuck with her._    
 _Stuck with this girl with the big blue eyes, an air of innocence and a weird propensity for violence._

Boone thought on this for a while. It seemed the Brotherhood scribe now belonged to their little team as well. She was a bit quirky, but nice enough. He'd get used to both girls eventually, and he was honest enough to admit to himself, he did enjoy the company.    
In the last few days he'd been drinking less, walking more and feeling better than he had in ages. 

Veronica was done filing and wanted to give Boone his rifle back, but when she was about to speak to him, the words caught in her throat.   
He was stretched out on the ground, eyes closed and the faintest smile on his face. Completely zoned out.   
The scribe grabbed the new magazine and started attaching it, intent on letting him just be relaxed for once.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian led Arcade to the Atomic Wrangler. He followed her a bit reluctantly but she had outright refused to talk to him at the Mormon Fort, and she did look like she needed someone to listen to whatever her problems were.   
Arcade wasn't good at this, never had been, but this Sian seemed like a nice kid and she had looked so lost when she came to him. He had found himself unable to refuse.   
Now, the blonde man watched with interest as she was greeted enthusiastically by the proprietor, James Garret, talked to him for a moment and then weaved through the crowd and found them a table where they'd be left alone.    
After the two got seated, Garrett came by their table and placed a bottle of good whiskey and two tumblers upon it's relatively clean surface. Rex had trailed after her and laid down at her feet.

The girl poured some whiskey in the glasses, downed hers and filled it again.    
Arcade took a sip of his own amber liquid and watched her intently. She looked tired. No, scratch that, she looked exhausted.    
   
“So, what did you want to talk about?”

Sian stared at him for a moment, seemingly having forgotten why he was here. Arcade felt like he could drown in those dark blue eyes of hers.    
The girl steeled herself. It felt incredibly wrong, baring her thought and feelings to a stranger. She tried to speak several times but no words would come.   
It took a second tumbler of whiskey to loosen her tongue enough.    
But then, the words spilled from her like a tidal wave.

“Boone and I took care of some mercenaries in Jacobstown and I told the leader what I'd do to him if he wouldn't leave. And I promised him some awful things. That I'd shatter his kneecaps and elbows, leave him for dead by a Cazador nest and listen to his screams. And I was going to do it. They were harassing good people... mutants.. -Whatever! They were trying to provoke them into attacking so they'd have a good reason to wipe everyone out. And for some lousy caps, because some crappy NCR-Brahmin-fuckers thought that having money gives you the right to be an asshole.” 

She hardly took time to breathe while she spoke. Arcade was listening while he nursed his beverage. The amount of violence she was willing to use was surprising, but thugs harassing innocent citizens always had to count on someone coming along who would put them in their place. He was about to say exactly that when the girl caught her breath and divulged the root of the problem.

“The scary part is that I was excited. I wanted him to fight me so I could do these things to him. And this is not the first time this happened. I fought some thugs in Primm and Goodsprings and I enjoyed killing them. Seeing them bleed made me happy and I just didn't want to stop. I don't know what I was like before, I don't know what I was taught to do, if I was taught anything at all. But when I fight, I know exactly where to strike to kill and where to strike to simply hurt. When I see blood, it's like there's this thing inside me, some kind of beast and it tears at me, trying to get out. And the one time it escaped, it was bad. I.. It... it was like I completely frenzied. I can hardly remember what I did. Just that when everything cleared up, the thugs were dead, I was covered in blood and was disappointed that it was already over. I don't know how to keep this in all the time. It's like there's two people inside of me and I don't know what to do.. Sometimes I feel like I'm insane.”

The girl's voice had gotten softer and softer as she spoke until it was barely a whisper. The blonde doctor also noticed how shiny her eyes had gotten, but Sian refused to let herself cry. The bottle was half gone by now, but she poured herself another generous amount of alcohol and downed half the tumbler in one go.   
Whiskey was making talking a lot easier she noticed. And her head felt so nice and light.   
Arcade watched her with unease, not sure if he should cut her off soon. What she had revealed to him was unusual, and he was not sure how to deal with it. His gaze wandered to the fresh scars on her hairline. Had those bullets made her violent? Or did they cover it up most of the time? Could this girl, this sweet-looking girl, really be dangerous?   
But when she looked up again and her eyes locked onto his, he sighed.   
He switched seats, took the chair next to her and hesitantly laid an arm around her shoulders. She flinched a bit at the contact but to both of their surprise, she leaned against him. 

“Listen, I'm not sure what to tell you. Maybe you've learned this violence before, maybe you haven't. You have a chance at a fresh start now, believe me, many people would kill for that. I get that this situation is probably terrifying for you, and that you don't understand yourself at times, but you've done a lot of good for the relations between Freeside and the NCR. You helped the citizens of Jacobstown. You went out of your way to fix the King's dog. You're a good person. Perhaps you weren't before, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is who you choose to be. Your actions define you and around here, you're well liked. I don't think you have to worry so much. Maybe you were just trained to defend yourself and now, because you've forgotten that, it's seems like excessive violence to you. Give it some time, I'm sure that those feelings will stop. And if you need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me, okay?”   


He gave her shoulders a squeeze and Sian smiled at him. She really needed to hear these things. Arcade had been the right choice and the girl was glad she could apparently trust her gut when she wasn't sure how to proceed.    
The tall blonde poured out the last of the whiskey and waved for another bottle. He felt that a night out drinking might be exactly what the girl needed. He toasted her and almost spat out a mouthful of liquor when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

“Andy! I almost didn't come over here, wasn't sure if it was you. But that grin is unmistakeable. Are you flying both ways now? And here I thought I was special.”   
   
A very visibly drunk man stood at their table. He didn't look all that bad and the grin he was giving Arcade was clearly supposed to look seductive. Arcade on the other hand looked horrified and very flustered. He threw a furtive look at Sian, who was seemingly amused at this turn of events.

“Uhm, I'm sorry, but you've got the wrong guy. I... I don't know who you are, sorry.”   


The words came out so fast, neither Sian or the strange man understood everything. But she saw that her new friend was rather embarrassed and looked like he wanted to die. So she leant forward, resting her head on her hand. She grinned at the stranger when she addressed him.

“Sorry, buddy, but you really got the wrong guy, trust me. But I'm sure if you look around a bit you'll find someone who'll make you feel 'special'.”

A quiet understanding passed between the two and the inebriated stranger winked at her and left. Arcade let out a relived sigh. Sian wasn't done yet, however.

“Andy? You usually go around and give people wrong names? And don't even try telling me that you don't know him! It's obvious. So, he a good hook-up?” 

Arcade looked hilarious. Mouth and eyes torn open and face beet-red. Sian couldn't hold back anymore and started laughing and Arcade just joined right in. It was like some kind of dam had broken. All the bad feelings were flooded away and the two of them spent the next hour gossiping and rating the hotness of the people around them.   
They were nearly done with their second bottle of whiskey when a very angry Boone stormed in, followed by Veronica, who looked slightly worried but relaxed at the sight of the now familiar blue hair.

“What the hell is wrong with you? We've been looking for you for hours!”

Boone was very angry, but Sian wasn't fazed at all by him. She just giggled, taking another swig of whiskey. 

“Oooh, come on. I get to have some fun once in a while! Don't be such a grump all the time. Sit! Drink something with us and have some fun for a change. You're always frowning. Why are you frowning, Boone? Vero! Vero, come here! The whiskey's amazing, you have to try!”

Boone and Veronica shared a look. Sian was drunk and any scolding would just wash right over her. The sniper gave a frustrated growl and rubbed his face over his hand.    
The blonde one was a doctor for crying out loud! Why would he let her get so drunk.    
Veronica sat down next to Arcade and Boone felt Sian's small hand close around his wrist and she pulled him to a seat with surprising force. He gave up. Waving at Garret, Boone ordered some more drinks and just decided to go with it for now. He leaned over to Sian and spoke to her quietly.

“Don't just run off again. I.. we were.. worried when we couldn't find you.”   
   
Sian gave him a reassuring squeeze, her hand resting on his forearm for a couple of seconds.    
   
“Don't you worry about me. I always find a way to deal with whatever comes up.”

The unlikely group of people sat at that table for hours, drinking, laughing and swapping stories. They even managed to draw some smiles from Boone to Sian's delight. He was far to serious most of the time. But around four in the morning. Sian and Arcade were absolutely wasted and Boone and Veronica were pretty drunk as well.   
Sian was dozing, her head resting on Boone's shoulder and Arcade and Veronica were giggling at some private joke.   
Garrett came over and offered them a room, only one unfortunately, but a rather big one and Boone took him up on it.   
He practically threw Sian over his shoulder, which elicited some more drunken laughter from her and hoisted Arcade up by the arm.    
Veronica and Rex followed him up the stairs and they found their room for the night. It was as dingy as the last one he'd been in, but Boone noticed the bed was a lot larger than those he knew.    
The blonde doctor jerked out of his grip and collapsed onto the bed, Veronica jumping in right after.    
The burly sniper dropped Sian on the mattress. He looked down at the three and snorted.

_Lightweights.._

He was looking around him, trying to spot the cleanest patch of floor and didn't notice the look that passed between the girls. With a devilish grin, they darted forward, each grabbing one of his wrists. 

“You're not sleeping on the floor, dipshit!” Sian voice was slurred and she couldn't focus on him anymore, but Veronica still could. 

“Yeah! He gave us this probably custom bed so we all could sleep. Don't be a martyr.”

Still laughing, they pulled him backwards. Arcade was dead to the world and didn't move, Boone couldn't. Before he could even come up with any kind of response, both girls laid down again, and he found himself with a head on each shoulder.   
The alcohol did the rest and both Sian and Veronica were fast asleep within minutes.   
Boone fought an internal battle, debating whether or not to get up. He could've shrugged them off, the man sincerely doubted they would pull him back again. But he didn't move. The fact that they wanted to be near him was strange. Boone knew that he wasn't the most social person and he was fine with the fact that most people didn't bother to speak with him or make the effort to make him in any way comfortable. This was really a novelty to him. He drifted asleep over these thoughts, before he had even decided if this was nice, or just plain strange. 


End file.
